A Soldier of the Light
by Reilly.216
Summary: From the very beginning, join Entity, the master sniper, and experience his triumphs and his defeats every step of the way. His victories and his losses. Battles that will mold the Hunter into a legend. After all, every legend has to start somewhere. (Set 17 years before 'In His Footsteps'/'O Brother Where Art Thou' and roughly a year before the events of 'His Own Path')
1. I - Humble Beginnings

_A Soldier of the Light_

_Chapter I – Humble Beginnings_

_**Earth, Old Russia, near Mothyards**_

The Ghost sighed in obvious exasperation, though there was nobody around to hear it. It initiated another scan on the barren ground, a bluish glow covering the earth surface as it looked around for any sign of hope. It had been searching for a Guardian for many months, travelling to the Moon, to Venus and briefly to Mars in order to find the ghostly remains of a long forgotten warrior.

For the past few weeks it'd been travelling with a friendly scavenger, whom it'd met with near the base of the Tower. The scavenger had kindly offered to help it in return for a few Glimmer. The Ghost had accepted, promising the scavenger a hundred Glimmer in advance and another hundred upon finding a Guardian.

The Ghost resumed working his gruelling work. Other Ghosts back at the Tower had told it about how finding a Guardian was a very special and unique occasion. _Of course_, they would say, _it's an individual experience that's slightly different for every Ghost. But when you resurrected your Guardian for the first time, something… changes in you somehow. As if you were now not only physically connected to another being now, but you were one and the same._

The Ghost had dismissed this as merely faction-influenced garbage, but he had to admit – he certainly was excited at the prospect of meeting an ancient and long-dead warrior.

_Ping!_

The Ghost could hardly believe it, its results had come back positive. He had found a Guardian! Its on-board circuits could hardly work fast enough. The Ghost expanded into its spherical state and pulsed, in and out, constructing the Guardians body and gathering nearby materials to scrape into make-shift armour and cloth. It experienced its last seconds as a Guardian-less Ghost and prepared to resurrect the Guardian.

_His _Guardian.

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Nothing.

Nothing but the inky blackness surrounding his mind. He knew he was dead, but he didn't expect it to feel so… _empty_. So… lonely. Then, quite suddenly, he began to feel warm. It was a strange sensation, especially as he hadn't been able to feel _anything _for the past… actually, he didn't know how long he'd been dead. A minute? A day? A year? Longer? Time was meaningless here, wherever _here _was.

The sensation grew hotter and hotter until he felt as if he was burning from the inside out. His whole body was on fire, ignited by some unknown force. If he were able to, he probably would have been screaming, begging for the feeling to stop.

Then the feeling stopped and slowly, ever so slowly, he began to open his eyes until he was squinting into the moonlight sky. The scene that greeted him was very different from the inky blackness he had grown oddly fond of.

He was lying on his back, he knew that. But he could _feel _the ground beneath him. He could feel the light wind billow through his clothing and on his face.

And he could hear a… voice, calling to him. The voice sounded as if it was underwater, but was slowly growing louder until he could clearly hear every word.

"Come on, Guardian, you need to get up." The voice said, matter-of-factly.

That word, _Guardian_. Was the voice addressing him?

"We need to go, Guardian. We're not safe here, newly risen warriors _usually _don't know up from down. I have to get you to the Tower, ASAP."

He sat up. His back protested at the effort, but he proceeded to stand up to his full height. He was around 5'10, and his framework was designed to allow him to be stealthy and agile, granting him the innate ability to move on any battlefield like a whisper in the night. But for all this, he still couldn't recall who he was. He didn't know what his purpose was.

He couldn't even remember his _name._

There were quick flashes of memories somewhere in his head but they were few and far between. He had no_ real_ knowledge of his past life, but that would have to wait. Right now, he had to focus on staying _alive_.

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The Ghost was almost glowing with excitement. It'd _done_ it. It'd raised its very own Guardian from the dead. Dissipating in thin air, the Ghost evaporated into its owner .However, it knew that it had to put its contentment aside and focus on getting the Guardian to the City in one piece; he didn't feel like he could perform another resurrection on this trip.

At that moment, a deafening roar rang out across the barren wasteland. It was a chilling sound, one that would cause dread and trepidation in most people.

It was a Fallen battle cry.

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The Exo Guardian looked around the plane grave-yard frantically, searching for the source of the haunting roar. He had no idea what could have produced such a sound, and frankly, he didn't want to know. Crouching next to the shell of an ancient vehicle, he warily poked his head above the cab, just high enough to see what was on the other side. Nothing but the wreckage of long-forgotten planes met his mechanical gaze.

"_Perhaps we should find a weapon?"_ The voice in his head spoke up its suggestion.

The sudden company to his thoughts made him flinch. His body fell forward onto the wreckage of the truck to support him, making a clanking noise as he made contact. Metal on metal.

A resonating clanging echoed throughout the empty landscape. The Exo held its breath, hoping that the noise had gone unnoticed by the alien. Maybe there were more…

Another battle cry rang out, and there was no doubt in the Exo's mind that the crier was now hunting him down. Unfortunately, he had absolutely no idea where the sound was coming from as the sound of the roar echoed all around him, bouncing off the ancient metal planes, filling the air around him with a roar of bad tidings.

"_So are we going to wait here for you to die again, or are you going to find a weapon?"_ The voice in his head repeated.

"Who are you?" The Exo asked, suspicious of the new voice. There was something in it though, something that he knew he could trust.

"_There's no time! We have to move if you're going to get out of here in one piece!"_ The voice was more urgent now, beginning to panic.

He took the anonymous advice to heart and began to navigate between the wrecks of a time long since passed. Weaving his way from plane to plane, the Exo tried to stay hidden from his yet-to-be-seen pursuer. Or _pursuers,_ he wasn't too sure. His feet flew across the ground as he stuck to the shadows, his form hidden amongst the derelict husks perfectly. His movement hardly caused a whisper, let alone any noise. Venturing into one of the old plane wrecks, the Exo crouched next to an oddly shaped crate. It had strange markings on it, probably a warning to any trespassers – of which he was counted in. It was next to one of these crates that he found his first weapon – a beefy looking rifle. It was a matte-black colour, the same as his 'skin' armour-plating. He picked it up and got a feel for its weight. It fitted nicely into his hands and he hefted it as if aiming at a foe.

"_It's a Cydonia-AR3." _The voice commented on the Exo's new discovery. _"It's old, but it'll do."_

The Exo ignored the voice, as he supposed that he was going to need to be able to get used to sharing his head with another. This time, he exited the wreckage with confidence – now he had a weapon at his side that he could call upon if things went awry. He was low on ammunition, he realised, another thing to add to the to-do list of things he needed to sort out. Not getting killed had claimed the top spot, closely followed by his need to figure out who or _what_ was talking to him.

Keeping a close eye on his surroundings, the Exo began to weave between the ancient machines with dextrous efficiency. Taking cover next to the rotor engine of one of the plane's wings, he peeked cautiously around the corner – and his eyes widened in astonishment.

Standing with its back turned to him was one of the aliens hunting him.

At a fleeting glance, one could have passed it off for a human soldier wearing some kind of new battle armour. Upon closer inspection, the humanoid creature was revealed to be much more. It wore a dark red cape, covering a large portion of its back. It had four upper limbs. The lower two were crossed in boredom, and in the other two laid a lethal-looking weapon. Its armour was a light grey in most places, in other places it was a lighter shade of white - presumably where the alien had attempted to clean it in futility. Its stance suggested that it was quite bored. Its commanding officer must have told it to stay put whilst he went to investigate the cause of the battle cry.

As far as the Exo could tell, the alien was alone.

Sneaking up behind him, the Exo looked at the creature's calves. Strapped there, glinting slightly in the moonlight was a deadly-looking knife. Removing the knife from its home, the Exo held it as if it were a sword, blade up - the serrated edge facing away from him and towards… _it._ The same serrated edge slid effortlessly into the alien's neck. In half-surprise, half-agony, the creature dropped its weapon and attempted to remove the deadly item from its throat. It was far too late for that though, for no sooner had the creature's hands reached its neck had the Exo slid the knife back out again, a white gas seeping out of the wound as the alien choked to death.

With a rasping groan, the alien died. The Exo quickly proceeded onwards, not wanting to be caught by the alien's friends.

"_Over there! Look!"_ The voice said, attracting the Exo's attention to a building on the horizon. It looked like some kind of relay station. A radar dish was sticking out of it, giving the impression that it may have been used to direct these same planes that now occupied the graveyard to land safely.

"_It's possible that there might just be something we can use in there to get out of here."_

The Exo simply nodded as a sign of acknowledgement. He began the slow climb up to the complex, hoping against the odds that he would find some kind of transport to escape from this plane graveyard.

**Authors Note:**

**Hey, guys! This is my first ever story, so don't set your expectations too high! Anyway, I should probably mention that (whilst I own the Exo character you were reading about) I don't own the 'In His Footsteps' story, the character was originally in that story first because I submitted him as an OC to the author, and I thought I should give him an origins story. So, here you go!**

**Reviews are appreciated, so please - take a couple of minutes out of your busy schedules to send me some feedback, okay?**

**Anyway, I might be asking for some OC suggestions soon, so if you want a better chance for your submitted character to be chosen, do it sooner rather than later. I expect to update this once every couple of weeks. **

**Thanks for reading – and I'll see you all in a couple of weeks!**

**Keep well and stand firm Guardians!**


	2. II - The Duel

_A Soldier of the Light_

_Chapter 2 – The Duel_

The Exo had been walking along the barren wasteland for a while now. He was always on the lookout for any more of the creatures; it had been a while since he'd last heard any battle cries, and so he supposed that they had given up their search for him. He was alive, at least for now.

_That clears that off the list of things to do. What was next? Ah, yes, the mysterious voice._

He wasn't sure if it was able to hear him, frankly he had absolutely no idea if it was even _real._ The Exo supposed that it had to be, considering the fact that he had no idea what else could describe how he was now surrounded by aliens, in a plane graveyard in (what appeared to be) many years into the future. He decided to find out.

"You never answered my question, you know. Who are you?"

A moment of awkward silence passed before the response came.

"_It's not so much _who _I am, so much as _what_ I am." _ The response came.

Suddenly, the air directly in front of the Exo seemed to shimmer slightly. Then, with a burst of air and an almost inaudible _whoosh_ sound, a small object hovered next to him. It didn't seem possible at first, its polygon-like shape seemed to spin and whir, all the while, a blue _eye_ concentrated on his every movement.

"_I am a Ghost, well, more specifically – _your_ Ghost. Ghosts are the final manifestation of the Traveller's Light, excluding Guardians, of course."_ It said.

The hovering ball of technology seemed to be speaking directly to him, as if it were another being, like a human would stare at their mother with affection and respect. The same look occupied the Ghost's expression when it looked at him.

"Okay." Was all the Exo could say in reply.

"_We can have a friendly chit-chat later. Right now, we have to get to that building and hope that we can find something flyable that Fallen haven't already picked clean, okay?" _The Ghost stated, obviously keen to be on its way.

The Exo nodded, understanding the need for transport, and with it; escape.

Crouching, the Exo approached the compound warily. He had no idea how many Fallen could be occupying this particular building. It could be anything from a small scouting party resting here whilst on their way back to their main encampment, or alternatively it could _BE_ the main encampment they were on their way back to.

"_I'm getting readings of multiple heat signatures inside the building, around half a dozen or so. Nothing you can't handle, even if you_ were _just resurrected." _The Ghost said, offering the Exo all the intel it had managed to gather.

"Well, here goes nothing." The Exo said to nobody in particular, and he set off.

As he came nearer to the compound, about a metre or so away from the main entrance, he overheard some of the Fallen speaking to one another. It seemed that they were in the middle of some kind of argument.

Peeking in through a small hole in the wall, the Exo saw the source of the commotion. A large vandal, much like the one he had encountered a short while ago, seemed to be arguing with a Captain.

_Probably his commanding officer_; he thought.

The debate seemed to be reaching an intense climax, with both members shouting out their individual demands.

"Ghost, can you translate some of this?" The Exo gently whispered.

"_There isn't much to go on when it comes to the Fallen language, but I'll do what I can." _It replied, just as quietly.

A few moments passed, both of the Fallen continued to speak their guttural, primal language of roars and throaty noises. Then, suddenly, the speech began to morph into a mixture of Fallen and English. The Exo was the only one who could hear the odd sound, so he wasn't worried about blowing his cover.

"Do…viix… want to die?!" shouted the Vandal. The Captain stared at him, furious.

"Ivk…will not… haav… my authority challenged! Miik… orders are law!" It shouted in return.

"Miik…friend died… bekauz… YOU told him to 'stay put'!" The Vandal returned, with just as much venom in his voice.

To the Exo, it was all very strange. Could they be arguing about that Vandal he had killed? It would make sense. The arguing Vandal was most likely a friend of the recently deceased alien and probably wanted to avenge him, the Captain, on the other hand, probably didn't want to waste his time trying to chase down the killer and wanted to push on to find more scrap to bring to its Kell.

"Viix… friend died… bekauz hee… was too idiotic to hear the Guardian coming! It's not… miik falt!" The Captain shouted. "Continue… withe vaat viik… are doing… ande,,, you will join him!" he added. This seemed to make the angered Vandal remember his place, and he faltered.

The Captain saw this, pressing his advantage home. "Challenge… miik… authority again, and… Ivk… will kill… viik… where you stand!" The Captain waited for a reply. When none came, he snorted, satisfied that he had imposed his superiority onto the Vandal. The Vandal in question bowed and backed away, skulking back into the small group of Dregs and Vandals that had been watching the argument with alarm. Now the Captain turned to his crew, addressing them all at once.

"Now, if… viik… are all ready,… miik… scouts have reported a ship… dheepre… inside this complex! Wee… will go to this… sheip… and salvage what we can." The Captain said in an authoritative tone.

With that, the Captain ordered his crew to get some sleep; they were going have their work cut out for them in the morning. Unfortunately for them, the Exo saw this as his perfect time to strike.

Checking that his clip was fully loaded, the Exo stood up and aimed the barrel of the weapon towards the Fallen Dregs and Vandals. Taking in a breath, he squinted down the sights and lined up the shot.

He pulled the trigger.

Immediately, the entire room the Fallen occupied was littered with hot lead, they ripped the Dregs apart as if their skin was made of paper, and embedded themselves into Vandal limbs and bodies. The Captain had wasted no time in sprinting for cover at the other end of the room, caring for only himself as his subordinates were ripped to shreds by the hail of bullets. Ethereal white bloodstains marked the floor wherever a Fallen lay down to die. The white gas that exuded from their wounds seeped into the air. It was a truly beautiful spectacle, and the scenes of death were harrowingly gorgeous to the Exo.

It was over in seconds, only the Captain and the Exo remained alive. A deafening silence descended on the building as the Exo reloaded his rifle and aimed at the wall the Captain had taken cover behind.

A few seconds passed by before the Captain decided to emerge from cover. As he peeked his head around the corner, the Exo wasted no time in firing a few bullets at its head. The alien's shields held and protected him from damage.

The Exo cursed as the Captain came towards him in blind rage, bringing his swords down onto him as he approached the Exo. Just before the pair of lethal-looking weapons could make contact with the Exo's metallic 'flesh', the Guardian brought out his knife it had taken from the Vandal it had killed and just managed to block the weapons in time to avoid major damage. The Exo's blade was less of a knife and looked much more similar to a kukri or machete, it was old, but it did its job. Blocking the incoming strike, the Exo dodged the next attack by ducking and swiped at the Captains legs. But the alien was too quick, seeing the incoming attack and turning it to his advantage by landing on the blade, pinning it (and the Exo) to the floor.

Releasing the blade, the Exo rolled backwards to avoid the blow that would have incapacitated (or even killed) him. The Exo regained his footing and stood up, looking the angry Captain in the eyes. Then, without any ceremony, the Captain threw one of his swords onto the ground at the Exo's feet. The incentive was clear, the Captain wished to battle him in a fair fight. The Exo looked from the blade to the Captain, half-expecting it to strike the moment he bent down to pick it up, the Captain simply nodded begrudgingly, deciding that it wouldn't kill an un-armed opponent. As the Exo picked up the weapon, the Captain straightened up and bowed slowly - out of respect for the coming battle between equally skilled warriors. The Exo returned the humble gesture, and changed his stance to prepare for the oncoming duel. The Captain did the same and began to pace in a circle, the Exo did the same.

This slow dance went on for a minute or two until the Captain suddenly launched his attack. The Exo side-stepped the strike with obvious grace, and returned by stabbing the Captain in the thigh. The Fallen yelped in pain, but tried to ignore the injury. The Exo was attempting to lure the Captain into fighting without technique, to attack out of blind anger and rage. The Captain attempted to hit the Guardian again - and again, he suffered an injury. This time across his chest.

The fight went on like this for a number of minutes; the Captain would go to strike (occasionally landing hits on the Exo) and would retire to his side of the room with another wound. After a short while, the Captain was visibly angering at the futility of his efforts, to say nothing of the evident pain he must be feeling. If the ethereal white blood seeping down his armour was anything to go by, the Guardian would agree that the Captain must have had an immense tolerance to pain as well an almost infinite amount of patience.

_Almost._

"_Entitee!" _it cried, as it ran at the Guardian.

The Captain sprinted at the Exo. The attack would have caught him off-guard if it had been the Captain's first attack, but it wasn't, and the creature was tired with fatigue after wasting its time trying to harm the Guardian.

In the end, it mattered little. The Exo could have run the creature through with one eye shut and an arm tied behind his back, his dexterity and natural talent with the blade was more than a match for the exhausted Captain. The end of the sword speared through the middle of the Captain's chest and protruded from its back, rupturing vital organs as it went. A moment of silence passed, shortly after which the Captain sighed as though he had been waiting for the sweet honour of death for a while, but nobody had been able to grant such a gift to him.

The Exo could visibly see that the Captain had mere moments left of this life. The alien's shoulders were sagged and his back was hunched over. Then, as a last act of defiance, the Captain locked eyes with the newly-born Guardian and said, almost inaudibly;

"Entitee…"

And with that, the Captain died. It eyes now lifeless and staring at the Guardian, though there was no intelligence behind the steely gaze, nor hatred or a loathing or revulsion – just… peace. Peace at last.

The Exo stood there for a while, looking at the body of the Captain. He had shown the Exo honour, and the Captain had retained his honour until his last, dying breath.

"Ghost?" The Exo asked the empty room.

"Yes, Guardian, what is it?" The Ghost said in a friendly tone as it materialised out of thin air.

"That Captain, he said something to me. I don't know what it means, he said before the duel and afterwards too – just before he died…" The Exo said quietly. "What does it mean, 'Entitee'?"

The Ghost stayed quiet for a moment before answering, as if it was searching its data-banks for the translation.

"Well, there isn't actually a word in the English language that it translates smoothly into. But, from what I can gather, it runs along the lines of 'Victory goes to the honourable'. Why did you want to know?" His Ghost asked.

The Exo picked up his rifle and strapped it to his back, and then began to walk in the direction the Captain had indicated a jump-ship would be.

"No reason. It's just… I don't know, I feel like I owe him something, does that make sense?" The Exo asked the Ghost, who simply dematerialised and stayed quiet.

Walking away, the Guardian turned back to look towards the Captain's body. Then, for some reason, he didn't quite know why, he walked over to the still-warm carcass and removed the sword from its chest with a wet sucking sound. The Exo regarded the weapon with interest; he hadn't had a chance to examine properly before fighting the Captain. But now that he did, he saw the jagged teeth running across one side of the blade and he caught a glimpse of the crackling electricity running across its steel length.

"Well, he _did_ offer it to me, after all…" he said under his breath, as he slid the sword between his belt and his hip.

The Exo began his journey deeper into the complex without casting another glance back at the trail of dead bodies he had left in his wake. As he walked, he contemplated that he should honour the Captain some way, and since he didn't remember his real name, he decided it was only fitting that he take up the mantle of the alien warrior's battle-cry – 'Victory goes to the honourable'.

'Entitee'.

No,_ Entity__…_

**Author's note:**

**Hey, guys. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I worked hard on it, so I'd really appreciated some reviews. I expect to update every fort-night on Fridays. I'm still accepting OC's, so if you want your Guardian to feature in this story, please send me their age, race, class, sub-class, background, etc.**

**Remember, the more detailed the suggestion the more chance you have of getting a place. My fellow author and friend, Razzack, has given me permission to use Raz from the 'In His Footsteps' and 'His own Path' stories. If you haven't read them yet, go check 'em out, they're really good!**

**Keep well and stand firm, Guardians!**


	3. III - Arrival

_A __Soldier of the Light_

_Chapter 3 – Arrival_

Finding the jump-ship had been easy, much easier than Entity had anticipated. He had expected to find the room full of Fallen, all clawing at the metal construction and each other in order to get a piece. In reality, the ship was alone. No Dregs clambering over its surfaces, or Servitors attempting to gain access to its on-board mainframe – not that he was complaining, he enjoyed the peace and quiet the lack of hostiles allowed him to revel in.

His Ghost had been able to reboot the jump-ships on-board systems using what he called 'trickery and persuasion'. The Exo hadn't the slightest idea of what he meant, but he didn't bother to ask. It didn't matter; he was too busy marvelling at the apparent impossibility of the ship's ability to hover in place two metres above the ground.

"Guardian, gawping at the ship isn't going to get us to the City any faster." The Ghost stated, with dry humour in its voice. "But it's always nice to have someone admire my handiwork. Come on, you need to get inside."

Suddenly, Entity began to feel a tingling sensation - not unlike the one he had felt when he was resurrected, albeit the feeling was much more pleasant. The feeling began at his head and toes and raced toward one another, filling his entire body with the odd sensation. It lasted less than a couple of seconds, and before he could truly contemplate what was happening, he found himself looking at the dirty and worn controls of the jump-ship.

Sitting in the seat, the Exo began to feel tired and sluggish. He felt as if his limbs more accurately represented the metal they were made from as they increased in weight. It was at this point that his neuro-sensors began to slow down as he descended into a temporary shutdown, or 'sleep' as the humans liked to call it.

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The Ghost looked from the flight controls over to his sleeping Guardian; Entity, which was what he was calling himself now. The Ghost thought of it as a strange sentiment to name oneself – especially after a Fallen battle cry. The use of names was a strange concept to him, although he was familiar with Guardians giving their Ghosts nicknames, he'd always thought of himself as 'Ghost' - nothing more, nothing less.

But he was getting distracted; he _needed_ to get his Guardian to the City. Seeing as his Guardian was an Exo, he would need a full diagnostic for any faults or technical issues from the resurrection before he would be allowed to be put on the active roster. First-time resurrections were always strange, as the Guardian was more susceptible to illness if they were organic, and faulty circuitry was more prevalent if they were an Exo. Once the diagnostic would be complete, the Ghost would need to submit his Guardian to one of the Tower's many drill-sergeants, who would survey and train new Guardians that arrived in the City. Based upon the strengths the Guardians showed during training, their results at the end of the two month period would decide what class they were going to be and what kind of fighting tactics suited them best.

For example, it is a well-known fact that Titans excel at close-quarters combat, wielding shotguns and pulse-rifles for face-to-face encounters. Therefore, it was possible that Entity would be a Titan, based on his earlier skirmish with the Fallen Captain. The Ghost thought about this for a few moments, and then decided against it. His Guardian _had_ shown considerable skill when up-close-and-personal to the Captain, but he wasn't the right build for the Titan role. They were built for taking damage and dealing twice as much, in comparison, it appeared as if his Guardian would be destroyed in an instant if he went in guns blazing to a fire-fight.

The small orb also mused over the other two (more likely) options for his Guardian – Warlock or Hunter. The Ghost pondered over the role as a Warlock. _'A wielder of Arcane magic'_ \- to be a Warlock was truly a prestigious title. For most of their time, Warlocks often remained within the Tower's upper floors, dedicating their intellect and deep understanding of knowledge to discover new technologies we can use to fight back against the Darkness. Warlocks did not only create great marvels, but could destroy them just as easily and as naturally as breathing. This Ghost in particular had once encountered a Warlock with such understanding of Void knowledge that she could summon great manifestations of her power into physical form and launch balls of pure Void magic at her enemies – obliterating them instantly. It would truly be a great honour to be able to have a Guardian capable of wielding such vast amounts of the Light's power. But it knew that its Guardian hadn't used any form of arcane knowledge against the Fallen they had encountered, so he doubted that he would turn out to be some great wielder of such raw power. Which left only one option.

A Hunter.

Hunters were the masters of the Frontier, able to destroy whole legions of enemies without raising any alarms. They were able to kill almost any opponent from almost any position on the battlefield. In the end, it would matter little, if a Hunter set his sights on you, your current moments were your last. Proficient with any weapon in their hands, they employ stealth and cunning over brute force that Titans usually employ. They were able to throw knives with dextrous and deadly efficiency on any target, as well as hit their mark with any weapon ranging from the small but deadly Hand-Cannons, to something with a bit more punch, like a Sniper Rifle or Rocket Launcher.

Based on his agility and natural stealth abilities, the Ghost thought that this class would be the one that his Guardian would turn out to be. However, it didn't really matter what class the Guardian would choose to be , because at the end of the day, the Ghost knew that he would readily sacrifice anything to protect its Guardian. The training would decide, not the Ghost - though it could calculate the most likely outcome quite easily.

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"Guardian, come on. Get up. Trust me - you're going to want to see this." The Ghost said, as he roused its Guardian from his slumber. The Guardian made a noise akin to a teenager groaning at his mother's insistence that they wake up. Eventually though, Entity did open his eyes, and was he glad that he did.

In front of them lay a great spectacle; a giant white _ball_ was hovering in mid-air. It seemed to defy logic itself; it was a truly beautiful sight. Near its base, it seemed to appear as if the ball had been ripped open by some giant malevolent forceful creature, as a gaping hole ruined the great spherical beauty of the spectacle. At the sight of this imperfection, Entity felt some unexplainable sense of anger. For some unknown reason, he felt as if he wanted to punish whoever had committed such a heinous act against something so beautiful. Now, the Exo's gaze fell slightly and looked towards some kind of centre of population, a city.

_The_ City.

Nestled under the shadow of the giant ball, lay an enormous metropolis with a well-established perimeter of one hundred-foot high walls to guard its boundary. All the space available inside the wall was completely taken up by buildings and other skyscrapers. The one that caught Entity's eye was a towering structure unlike the others. It seemed more regal, more elegant. It wasn't quite perpendicular to the ground it stood on; instead it rose at a slight slanted angle.

As the relic of a ship approached the Tower, a hangar area revealed itself; cut into the side of the structure. It was here that the ship set down cautiously. The Ghost probably worrying that the slightest incorrect manoeuvre could result in the ship falling apart.

As the vessel set down on the floor of the hangar, the Guardian was trans-matted outside. Only to be greeted by an excited-looking blonde woman. A couple of others were gathering around the ancient vehicle, admiring its shape and design. The blonde woman approached Entity, beaming.

"That's a mighty fine wreck you got there, Guardian." She said as she cast a glance over to it. "Where'd you find it?"

The Exo simply shrugged his shoulders, not really seeing anything exceedingly special or odd about the craft. The Ghost materialised and floated over to the woman.

"In the Cosmodrome, Old Russia - it was in a deserted warehouse. Why, Amanda, what's wrong with it?" The Ghost enquired.

Amanda turned to the Ghost, almost at a loss for words. A cross look suddenly struck her appealing features.

"W-wrong?! There's nothing _wrong_ about it!" She pointed to the wreck. "It may be a little neglected over the centuries, but if I gave this baby a new ion-drive and a paint-job, maybe a couple of other features too…" She mused to herself, "It could be the finest in the fleet!"

This took Entity by surprise. Back in Russia, he hadn't really cared about whether or not the ship was visually appealing, he just needed a ride out of the area. He was about to say something, but thought better of it and turned to go. The Ghost saw this and quickly said its apologies to Holliday, asking her to do what she could for the old ship, before chasing after its Guardian – dematerialising as it came closer.

"That was rude." It said. The Exo simply shrugged. "Anyway, we need to get you to the Vanguard, report your arrival." The Ghost re-materialised in front of the Exo and simply said;

"Welcome home."

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"Doesn't look like much, does he?" Cayde-6 said, as he regarded Entity's slightly smaller-than-average frame.

"Peace, Cayde. I doubt I have to remind you of your appearance when you first came to the Vanguard." The black woman closest to the Hunter Vanguard retorted, defending Entity. Cayde merely shrugged. Ikora turned to regard Entity.

"Welcome, Guardian. My name is Ikora Rey. I speak on behalf of the Warlock's of the Tower. That-", she nodded towards the Hunter Vanguard, "-is Cayde-6, he stands for the Hunter's. He issues most of the tasks you'll find doing routine patrols around the Frontier."

Cayde acknowledged Ikora with a small nod, but leant back over a scroll of paper. To Entity's eyes, it resembled some kind of map.

She glanced over to another man on the far end of the long table. He was a large man with bulky armour and a hard face.

"That is Commander Zavala. He represents the Titans and orders Guardians into their fire-teams and the missions they take to destroy the Darkness." The Commander didn't move, or even acknowledge Ikora or Entity in any way, too preoccupied with his work to care. Ikora addressed him now, with an air of authority, and something else – perhaps suspicion.

"Now, you know who we are, Guardian. But who are you?" She asked, clearly expecting an answer.

"Entity." He said, quietly. He didn't particularly like this woman, her title as Vanguard made little difference to his opinion. At his response, the woman looked confused.

"That's it?" she asked. "No number? Nothing else?"

Entity was slightly confused by her response. He shook his head in response. His Ghost materialised to explain further.

"Vanguard Ikora, when I resurrected him, he admitted that he had no recollection of his previous life. I know that that isn't strange, but in his case it was particularly… severe." The Ghost cast a glance over to Entity, whose ice-blue optics watched the conversation with prying eyes. "He didn't even remember his own name." Ikora nodded gravely, letting the Ghost continue. "In our journey to escape, we came across a small group of Fallen. Entity eliminated most of them without a problem, but the Captain didn't go down without a fight – literally. When Entity found himself unarmed and at the Captain's mercy, the Captain did something quite… _unexpected_." This piqued Ikora's interest.

"Go on." She said.

"Well, he challenged my Guardian to, well… a _duel_. Entity managed to beat him, and well… er… let's just say – there's a reason behind the name." The Ghost stayed in front of the Warlock for a few seconds more, when she didn't comment, it de-materialised back to its Guardian.

Ikora now looked toward Entity with veiled fascination, though he saw right through her mask.

"Very well, I will not pry further. I'm sure you have your reasons for such a name." She turned to her Ghost, who quietly said something to her. After the exchange had finished, she turned to face the Exo. "You are to report to your quarters. New Guardians without classes stay in the Living Hall, until your class is decided, you will stay there. Training begins at 10:00 hours tomorrow morning. Dismissed."

Entity turned and left the room and descended into the Tower to find his living space.

Finding the hall was simple; Entity's Ghost guided him through the corridors and hallways. What wasn't so simple was finding somewhere to stay for the night. The Living Hall was full of Humans, Awoken and Exo's - nearly all of which seemed to be conversing with each other or chatting with their Ghosts. The select few were sleeping or sitting on their own, contemplating their behemoth task as a Guardian of the Light - a Soldier of the Light. Entity's optics skimmed the room, looking for somewhere to rest. He saw a bunk-bed with its top-bunk already occupied, he strolled over and sat on the bed.

Entity remained still for a little while, sitting quietly. He was nothing more than a spectator, looking at all the gathered Guardians with inexperience and lack of combat knowledge. He was listening to their conversations absent-mindedly; he was hearing their words, but not really taking anything in. It wasn't until he was punched in the jaw, that he started paying attention to his surroundings.

**Author's Note:**

**Hey guys. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**

**So, I'd like to thank the people that have reviewed this story and submitted their OC's. For anyone who still wants to submit an OC, please put it in the reviews section with all their relevant info. Remember, the more detail you can describe for your character, the more likely it is that you'll get picked. Submission's will no longer be accepted past February 13****th**** (Oooh, scary!), so get submitting or risk not getting involved in the story.**

**I've decided to shorten my update window from every fort-night to once per week, maybe twice if you're good.**

**Stand firm, Guardians!**


	4. IV - Training Begins

_A Soldier of the Light_

_Chapter 4 – Training Begins_

The blow threw Entity across the floor of the Living Hall; he only stopped because he impacted on a hard surface, hurting his back. A large, burly-looking black man stomped over to him – a menacing look on his ugly face. The man clasped a beefy hand around Entity's neck, crushing his voice-box.

"That's my bed. Hands off!" the black man bellowed; his voice rumbled like rusty machinery, his breath was awful. Entity's Ghost appeared next to its Guardian.

"Excuse me, -" The Ghost began. But he was cut off by the large man's other hand clasping around it.

"Shut it, squawky." He said in a menacing tone. He threw the Ghost to one side and it hit a wall on the other side of the room, stunning it. The Ghost attempted to regain its senses, but its blue 'eye' was flickering, clearly damaged. With a rattling sigh, it floated down to the floor, unconscious (or, you know, the equivalent of 'unconscious' in Ghost terms).

Entity suddenly began to anger at the sight of his Ghost coming to harm, but he knew he would have to play it smart if he was going to get out of this alive, the black man was far too large to take on alone. The black man turned back around to the Exo, regarding his angry expression.

"What's wrong, whelp? You got nothing to say?" He laughed at his own joke; it was a throaty metallic sound, and just as unpleasant as his face. By this time, a small crowd had gathered around the two Guardians, their faces had mixed expressions on them. Some wore faces of contentment, eager to see the Exo take a beating. Others had creased lines of concern written on their features, whilst others (typically Warlocks) regarded the fight with curious expressions, analysing each combatant for their strengths and weaknesses. All of them were evaluating whether or not the Exo would survive the fight, if you could call it that. None of them stepped in, though. Bastards, all of them.

Well, _nearly _all.

"No, he probably doesn't, especially considering you've got your fist around his throat." commented a solitary voice, the black man whipped around, scanning the assembled crowd for the interruptive voice.

"Who said that?" he half-said-half-shouted at the members of the group.

The crowd parted, revealing a slim young woman in the midst of the collection. She wore a cocky expression on her face, showing her self-confident nature. Entity watched with fascination; who was this white knight?

"You!" The black man said, his rusty voice brimming with rage at the very sight of the young woman.

"Me." The white knight said, joking at the bully's expense. "Now, why don't you put the Exo down? He's done nothing to hurt you – or upset you in any way."

Now the young woman addressed the assembled crowd of people. "Can't we settle this like the intelligent beings we are?" she cast a glance over to the black man, "Well, _us_ at least."

The large man roared and launched himself at the Warlock, letting go of Entity's throat. But the woman saw him coming and side-stepped the charging man, who lost his balance and fell over. She tutted.

"Guess not." The woman chuckled to herself. "Why are you doing this, Kyle?"

Kyle looked at the smaller woman. Indecision clouding his features, like a school-boy looking for an excuse for doing something naughty.

"He was sitting in my bed." Kyle said, angrily.

"_My _bed, you mean."

"No, I saw it first." The black man shouted.

"Listen, if you wanted to sleep with me, all you had to do was ask." She looked over to Entity, and then turned back to Kyle. "You want to sleep with me so much; you'd fight a guy for the bed. I mean, I know I'm good-looking, but_ jeez_ dude, you'd have to buy me dinner first." The woman said in a mockingly sultry tone. The crowd laughed at this, Kyle stood up and ran at the young woman again, rage clouding his mind. She smiled once more, and clicked her right hand.

Immediately a barrier of purple light blocked Kyle's path, blocking his progress. Kyle bounced harmlessly off the translucent material, landing on the floor with a _'thud!'. _He was out cold.

The Warlock grinned to herself and walked over to Entity, beaming. Entity simply looked at her in astonishment, though he made sure not to show it on his face.

"Thanks" Entity said simply.

The woman looked at him, a twinkle in her eyes. "No worries, I needed to teach him some manners at some point or another anyway. You just gave me a good excuse to do so - really, I should be thanking you." She said, as she smiled at the Exo. She offered her open hand, expecting him to shake it. "I'm Erebus."

"Entity," he said as he took her hand, shaking it firmly, "that's an odd name, don't you think?"

Erebus grinned. "If I had a Mote of Light for every time someone said that, I'd be the Speaker." She laughed - a delightful sound to Entity's ears.

Entity nodded to her, and ran over to his Ghost, who was still unconscious. He tentatively prodded it experimentally, seeing if it would react. It didn't. Erebus came over and put a hand on the Exo's shoulder. Entity picked up his Ghost and regarded it, fearing the worst.

"Don't worry. It's not dead, just a bit banged up. Take it to the Speaker in the morning, right now; you need to get some sleep. Come on." She said as she walked over to the bunk-bed - the same bunk-bed that he'd been sitting at hardly ten minutes ago. He followed suit and found himself lying in the lower bunk. Within a minute, he was sound asleep. So was Kyle, but he was on the floor, but _boy_ would he have a head-ache in the morning.

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"Wake up. Wake up. WAKE! UP!" shouted a loud voice at the entrance to the Living Hall. "Get your ass up, ladies! At this rate, even a Servitor could have killed you! Get up!". The encouragement came thick and fast, if you could call it encouragement.

The newly-risen Guardians leapt up and out of their beds, and as Entity stood up and began placing his clothing armour onto his frame, he knew that there would be plenty of wake-up calls just like this one in the future.

"Get ready and assemble in Battle-Simulation-Room-3!" The drill-sergeant at the door ordered - then, without another word, marched out of the room. Entity looked over at Erebus, who was standing next to him, and raised a quizzical eyebrow at her, as if asking _"Where's that?"_

She shook her head, unsure herself before turning to another Guardian who had been here for the past couple of weeks, and had presumably been to Battle-Simulation-Room-3 before. He answered that it was a couple of floors below the Living Hall, and that your Ghost would be able to guide you there if you got lost.

Entity took in a quick breath, realising that his Ghost was still inactive and that he needed to report to the Speaker in order to get it fixed. He quickly made his goodbyes to Erebus and started in the direction of the Speaker's Hall in the West Tower area, grabbing his weapon and inactive Ghost as he went. Kyle glared at him as he exited the room.

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"You really ought to be more careful, Guardian, Ghost's aren't exactly replaceable." The Speaker spoke in his soft, wise voice. Entity just shrugged and apologised. He sighed and, taking the Ghost into his hands, he began to murmur an incantation –presumably taught to him by the Traveller. He took in a deep breath and meditated for a few seconds, concentrating on the Ghost to re-awaken it. Suddenly, the Ghost began to hover in place before its blue 'eye' began to flicker and turn on. Entity looked at the Speaker, marvelling at his ability to perform such wonders, and then turned his attention back to his Ghost.

"Good to have you back." Entity said to it.

The Ghost looked at him for a second or two, probably trying to remember how it was suddenly in the Speaker's Hall, when it remembered being in the Living Hall not a few moments ago. In the end all it could say was;

"Good to be back - you've got some explaining to do." He chastised Entity, who merely nodded in a way that said _"We'll talk later"_. Entity looked to the Speaker, still at a loss for words.

"Thank you, sir. We should go."

"Of course, Guardian. Good luck." And with that he turned back to his charts and papers, silently dismissing the duo. Entity's Ghost floated back over to him.

"Come on, we need to get to training." The Ghost reminded him. Entity nodded and set off at a jog towards the Battle-Hall.

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"All right, Guardians, this-" The trainer gestured around him at the vast battleground, situated just outside the City's outer walls "-is where you're going to be training most of the time. So get used to it."

The assembled Guardians, including Entity and Erebus, looked around in awe – especially Erebus; she had told Entity that the technology of the Traveller was something of a marvel to her. Entity couldn't say that he felt the same – sure, he thought the scenery was pretty, but he was already noting the best places to hunker down and confirm some kills, as well as tight corners and choke points that may cause him trouble. He also made a mental note of who looked the most intimidating and posed more of a threat to him. There were some larger combatants that looked to be set for the position of Titan, and also some others that looked as if they could be Warlocks. He knew he'd have to keep a look out for Erebus, he knew what she could do from the demonstration on Kyle she gave last night.

"Okay, Guardians. You'll be put into teams of two, so pair up. The match starts in precisely two minutes. At that point, you and your team-mate will be transported to an area of the map. The timer will begin and after twenty minutes, a team will be declared the winners based on their score – or until all other teams are eliminated. Got it?" The drill-sergeant asked the crowd of roughly twenty. He received a unanimous 'yes' in reply.

"Good," he said, "Pair up. Your time starts now."

Entity looked around him, he could already see people dispersing and pairing up. Some were thinking strategically, like the Warlocks, pairing themselves up with Titans to soak up most of the damage for them whilst others just paired up with their friends.

He searched the crowd, but didn't see anyone to pair up with. Then suddenly, some of the pairs began to trans-mat and disappear in a bluish glow until there were only around six people left. They, like Entity, had no-one to pair up with and so had to arrange themselves with whoever was left. Then, Entity saw a familiar face in the group of stragglers; Erebus. Entity strode over to her.

"Looks as if nobody wants to mess with the girl who put Kyle on the floor." Entity chuckled as he spoke. Erebus regarded him for a moment, and then sighed.

"Hey, shut up, you're not so popular yourself!" She retorted. Entity held up his hands in mock surrender, chuckling still. He stopped laughing then nodded to Erebus. She returned the gesture. The next thing he knew, Entity had been engulfed by a blue haze with Erebus beside him. He felt as if he'd never be able to get used to the sensation of falling that the trans-mat brought on, no matter how many times he did it.

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"Recruits, prepare for game start. Remember; resurrections are not permitted in this game, so no reviving. If you're downed in battle, you stay down! Countdown begins; 5, 4-"

Entity looked over at Erebus, who looked at him; rifle in hands, and nodded. Entity returned the gesture and hoisted his own Scout-Rifle to his shoulder.

"-3, 2, 1! Begin!"

Entity and Erebus set off at a sprint, her human legs keeping pace with the Exo's speed quite well. They ran towards the centre of the arena and scanned their surroundings. It was quiet, no shots had been fired yet. Suddenly;

Gunfire, off to their left.

The duo whipped around to face the source of the noise, but couldn't see anything through the ruined bricks walls that were scattered around the battlefield. Moments later, the gunfire stopped, accompanied by the dying groan of a fallen Guardian. This made the pair grip their weapons tighter, not out of fear, but out of a sense that things were about to get a little… _hectic_.

As if on cue, a pair of Guardians leapt out of cover and ran at Erebus, probably planning to gun her down with the beefy shotguns they were wielding.

"On your left!" He shouted calmly, so she didn't panic and spray bullets at them. Erebus kept her cool though and turned to face the oncoming berserkers. She fired straight – her aim was true, if a little unco-ordinated. Within seconds, the two shotgun wielding brutes had fallen. Erebus breathed a sigh of relief.

Entity smiled, but his satisfaction was soon squandered as they came under sniper fire, the brief engagement probably attracting his attention to them. In the end, it mattered little - Entity knew what to do.

Before he had been rudely awakened by the drill-sergeant he'd been able to access the Tower's smithing facilities. There, he'd been able to re-shape the Captain's Sword to something that better suited an all-round purpose. The metal, he had noticed, was an unknown element that had the density of titanium – making it nearly unbreakable, so he didn't have to worry about the weapon shattering half-way though a fight, like it had done when he'd faced the Fallen Captain. Instead, he'd managed to shape it down and carve into a machete, so he was able to wield it for hand-to-hand combat in those up-close-and-personal moments, or he was able to use it as an impromptu throwing-knife.

For this situation, he used its secondary purpose and he flung the blade in a deadly arc directly towards the sniper Guardian. The blade wheeled in mid-air twice before burying itself in the Guardians chest. A moment of disbelief surrounding the situation soon dissipated as the Guardian tumble off his perch, the sniper-rifle still in his hands. The body landed on the floor with a wet crunch and Entity jogged over to retrieve his blade.

Erebus simply stared at him, awe-struck.

"That was - oh my God, that was amazing! How did you do that?" She asked the Exo as she ran over to congratulate him on his dexterous display of skill. Entity simply shrugged, cryptic as ever. She looked at him accusingly but made no further exclamations.

"Well…" She mused, "…you're gonna have to teach me how to do that sometime." Erebus said in a commanding tone. Entity smiled, and then looked down at the Guardians carcass. The sniper rifle was still in its hands.

_To the victor go the spoils_; he thought as he reached for the weapon.

It was a simple Gozen-C, but it would suffice. Decided, Entity strapped the weapon across his back, its sling allowing for easy access at short notice. Erebus raised a questioning eyebrow, but said nothing. Instead, she simply motioned her head in a way that said; _'Come on'_.

The Exo followed her instruction and gripped his Scout-Rifle warily. No doubt their scuffle had attracted some unwanted attention from their opponents. It was time to move off.

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Around eight more minutes passed before the pair got involved in their next engagement, which was with a couple of Guardians who looked to resemble Warlocks. The engagement was brief; their opponents clearly didn't understand the concept of _not_ getting hit by bullets, so it was really just like shooting fish in a barrel. Erebus, however, had been injured by a Hand Cannon bullet and she was bleeding profusely. Blood was seeping out of the wound in her stomach, but she reassured the Exo that she felt perfectly fine.

However, walking was clearly tough for the Human woman. She lacked Entity's ability to be hit by bullets and not feel the pain it brought - an ability that he took for granted. Eventually, she decided that she could proceed no further, and she sat down behind an outcrop of rocks. She put her auto-rifle in her lap and she glanced at her wrist-watch.

"Only… three more… minutes, then… we can go." She smiled bravely, but Entity could tell she was putting on a brave face. He knelt next to her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Listen," He said, looking her in the eye, "We're going to win this thing, okay? Together."

Erebus nodded, and looked into his optics with something the Exo couldn't identify – trust, maybe? The Exo was just about to help his companion up to take her to a more suitable position to stay in, when he heard a solitary voice call his name.

"Hey, Asshole!" It said.

Close enough.

Entity stood up and turned to the owner of the voice, who was aiming a Rocket Launcher at him, not twenty metres away. It was Kyle.

"Well 'good morning' to you too, Kyle" Entity spoke as he took a wary step towards the brute of a man. The black man looked at him with contempt, hate clouding his features.

"Yeah, this-" He tapped the front of the large Rocket Launcher "-is my way of saying good morning." Kyle grinned. "I'm a man of simple tastes, but making things go 'BOOM' is my speciality."

With that, Kyle fired at Entity, and the missile came rushing toward him.

**Author's Note:**

**Hey guys, I hope you all had a great week. Here's my new chapter for you, I hope you like it. Please review, it means a hell of a lot to me. Anyway, I've decide to extend the OC Submission window so it stretches to next Friday. I'm going to start incorporating people's OC's in my next couple of chapters, as well as a guest appearance from Raz the Titan in one of my future chapters.**

**Stand firm, Guardians.**


	5. V - Graduation

_A Soldier of the Light_

_Chapter 5 – Graduation_

The Exo Warlock looked over to his human companion, who was crouched next to a stream, washing Fallen blood off of his hands. The Titan had an annoying habit of running into a fight and obliterating anything he saw. Most of the time, he did it with his bare hands. It wasn't a bad thing – after all, Titans _were_ the muscle behind most Fire-team operations. It was just annoying that he'd destroy _everything_, so the Warlock would never be able to examine any of the corpses – let alone interrogate a prisoner.

Ferrum-205 trudged over to his accomplice and knelt down next to him, slinging his Auto-Rifle over his shoulder.

"You know Josh, sometimes I get concerned about you." Ferrum said to his friend in a cheery voice. The Titan turned to face him, a quizzical eyebrow already climbing up his forehead.

"What do you mean?" He said. With a hint of a chuckle behind his deep, booming voice.

"You know that my research is important to me, right?"

Josh nodded.

"It's just… next time we come across a Fallen patrol, could you leave at least _one_ of the bodies intact?" Ferrum asked his associate. Again, Josh nodded, saying that he'd try to. Ferrum patted Josh on the back and stood up, unslinging his rifle as he did so.

"Come on," He said, his robotic voice serious now, "we're burning daylight. It'll be dark in a couple of hours and you know what that means."

Josh shuddered beneath his armour, not because of the cold of the North Alaskan climate but because he knew that, after dark, Hive Thralls became much more ravenous and blood-thirsty. They became extra aggressive and could shred even the most heavily armoured Titan to pieces within seconds and devour the remains. They'd been known to occasionally consume Ghosts too, which meant that a fallen Guardian had no way of being revived. Josh stood up and followed his friend, in search of another Fallen patrol.

Ferrum had first been resurrected about two years ago, and since then he had strived to discover the purpose of his existence. He knew he was a Guardian, and so his obvious purpose was to battle the minions of the Darkness in the hopes of pushing back its influence and restore Light to the Solar System and maybe beyond. But he wanted to know what his _original_ purpose was – as an Exo. Most of his time was spent in the Tower's libraries as he gleaned what he could from its limited sources of information. From what he had gathered, Exo's had been built life-times ago as weapons in a long and all but forgotten war. They had primarily been used as tools, nothing more. To their creators, they were expendable – replaceable. Apparently, the war – nicknamed the 'Machine War' – had lasted for numerous decades. Then, near its apparent end – the details began to get a little hazy. Some records stated that a peace treaty had been agreed upon, and the humans had relinquished the Exo's from their armies, allowing them a place in society. Other reports said that the Exo's had united and fought back against their human masters, claiming victory for themselves. Others still, claimed that Exo's are just a kind of second skin, worn by the consciousness of deceased Humans. Whatever the reason for their existence, Ferrum was determined to find out what it was – no matter the cost.

In the past, other Warlocks had viewed his quest for knowledge as radical nonsense, an impossible task to accomplish. Ferrum had shrugged such opinions off like a Hunter removing his cloak. Other Guardians in the Tower, even the Cryptarchs, saw his mission as a fixation – an obsession. Ferrum had shrugged off these comments as well, just as easily. Eventually, he had successfully alienated everyone around him due to his pursuit of ancient knowledge until only one person remained – Josh.

Josh had met Ferrum in the Crucible, the Titan had admired the Warlock's cold and calculating approach to battle, eliminating the strongest first and then picking off the weaklings with ease. He'd even managed to best the Titan on the odd occasion, but ultimately he was still superior.

His armour was plain, but very strong – mirroring the Guardian's resolve. He was an animal when in battle, a savage beast obliterating any in his path. No adversary stood a chance of seeing the sunrise again if they chose to fight him. He had single-handedly taken down multiple high-ranking targets within the Fallen hierarchy. He had defeated the House of Winter's Kell by himself and had bested Sepiks Prime, the Prime Servitor for the House of Devils; with only minimal help from a Hunter he had met on his way to face the Servitor.

Ferrum and Josh had accompanied each other on multiple missions, and they _always_ met with success.

Ferrum then spotted another Fallen patrol, larger than the average group. It didn't matter – it just meant more things to kill.

"You're up." Ferrum said.

The Warlock looked over to his friend and nodded. The Titan returned the gesture and ran at the group head-on, his fists already crackling with lightning.

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Entity had just enough time to side-step the projectile, dodging what would have been a fatal blow. The missile flew past him, barely an inch between them. Without losing any momentum from the movement, Entity rolled and ran straight towards Kyle.

The Titan saw him coming and fired the second rocket out of two straight at Entity's head. With lightning-quick reactions, the Exo sprint-slid underneath the missile and placed the muzzle of his Scout-Rifle under Kyle's jaw in one swift movement.

To any bystander watching the scene, it would have appeared as though it were an effortless display of grace, only to be followed by a scene of gore as the top of Kyle's head ruptured as Entity's bullet shot through his skull. A fountain of blood and gore erupted from the human's cranium, brain-matter spattered on Entity's face and Kyle dropped to his knees, eyes still wide in shock.

He was dead before his face hit the ground.

Just as Kyle's Ghost appeared, a bell sounded, signalling the end of the exercise. The Drill-Sergeant came over to Entity, clapping slowly and purposefully.

"Guardian, that was one of the finest displays of skill from a novice I've ever seen, and I've been doing this for a while." He said in a hard voice that matched his rugged appearance.

"Thank you, sir." Entity replied.

"What's your name, son?"

"Entity."

The Drill-Sergeant looked at the Exo with pride, and then jerked a thumb towards Erebus.

"Take her to the medical wing and then report to the Mess Hall. Dismissed."

With that, the drill-sergeant moved off towards the jump-ships, waiting to transport the Guardians back to the Tower. Entity ran over to Erebus and lifted her in his arms, bridal-style. She looked at him with that curious expression again, then closed her eyes and passed out, going limp in the Exo's arms. Entity chuckled to himself and then made his way over to the waiting transports.

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_2 months later . . ._

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"Guardians, when you came here, you were inexperienced – unproven." The Speaker addressed the assembled crowd of roughly fifty Guardians. "Now, you have been born again, as Protectors, as Wardens, as wielders of the Light. With that power, comes a vow that you all must undertake - a promise." The Speaker produced a scroll of manuscript; on it was written a transcript that described the duties of a Guardian of the Last City. Simultaneously, all of the assembled recruits brought out their Ghost's, preparing to undertake the initiation.

"As Guardians, do you swear to uphold the values of the Light and conflict the Darkness?" The Speaker asked. The reply was spoken by every initiate present.

"We swear."

"Do you promise to protect the City, and all that for which it stands?"

"We promise."

"Do you insist to defend the Traveller, so that we may one day rise from the ashes – and emerge victorious?"

"We insist."

"Do you vow to commit your lives to safeguarding the freedom and survival of humanity?"

"We swear, we promise, we insist."

The Speaker rolled up the parchment and replaced it back into the folds of his clothes. Suddenly, the Ghost of every initiate pulsated with a green light, but then quickly returned to their natural blue glow.

"Then, I pronounce you as Soldiers of the Light – as Guardians!"

A cheer went up from the assembled group of newly initiated Guardians.

Over the next hour or so, the Speaker himself handed out the gear to every individual Guardian. The gear they each received represented the Guardian Class they had been inducted into. When he came to Entity, the Speaker firmly shook the Exo's hand and handed him his armour. It was a finely crafted set of Dust-Walker armour, except for the helmet, which was an Argus Deimatic 1.3R1. Entity looked at the armour with prying eyes, eager to put it on and fight the Darkness.

Then he noticed something, there was no armour piece that would cover his arms or hands. Entity looked to the Speaker, who merely nodded, understanding the issue. It was then that he called forth another Hunter, who came to stand at his side and had an object wrapped in a Hunter's cloak in his hands. The Hunter was clearly a veteran Guardian, judging from the numerous scratches on his armour, as well as the scars that ran across portions of his face. The Speaker explained;

"Entity, you have shown great skill and talent in these recent months, and the Vanguard has noticed. When I was notified of your aptitude for combat, I instructed Kane here-", he gestured towards the veteran Hunter, "-to explore the deepest depths of Venus – to seek out a place where a team of Guardians discovered an ancient rock formation that contained the remains of an Ahamkara."

Mention of the extinct race of intelligent creatures piqued Entity's interest, and he paid closer attention.

"He brought back the remains and now, seeing as you're a Guardian, I feel it is the right time to give you this."

Kane handed over the parcel to the Exo and Entity went to unwrap it and discover what was inside. But the Speaker put a hand on his shoulder and Entity paused, looking to the man.

"Patience, Guardian. Wait until you're alone. The contents of this parcel are yours now, even the cloak. However, what is inside may cause others to become jealous of such a gift." The Speaker's soft tones stayed Entity's eagerness to discover the contents of the package, if only for now. Entity nodded understandingly. The Speaker returned the motion and continued onto the next Guardian.

Entity turned to Erebus, who beamed at him with that beautiful grin of hers. She hugged him tightly and he wrapped his spare metallic arm around her torso, the other was holding the parcel.

"We did it!" She exclaimed, "We're finally Guardians!"

Erebus broke from the embrace and grinned at him once more, she then looked at the mysterious package he was holding. She raised an eyebrow at him.

"What's that?" She asked. Entity only shrugged in reply. She shook her head as an idea struck her.

"We should celebrate!" Erebus suggested. Entity looked at her with mild concern.

"You know that I don't like to go to any of those stupid night-clubs. They're the perfect place to get robbed." Entity replied, his contempt for her idea obvious in his voice. She shook her head at him.

"No, of course not. Tonight's too special to waste at a silly night-club!"

"Then what do you propose?" he asked.

"I was thinking that we could go out on a patrol tonight. You know, seeing as we're Guardians now. Come on, it'll be fun!" Erebus pleaded to Entity, who mused over the suggestion in his head.

"All right, let's do it." He said, coming to a decision.

Erebus looked at him in surprise; Entity almost never did things like this. She wrapped him into another tight hug, and then started to jog towards the Living Hall.

"Come on!" She shouted to him, "Get your stuff together and meet me in the hangar when you're ready!"

"Wait!" Entity shouted after her, but she was gone. Sighing, he started towards the Living Hall to equip his armour and uncover the contents of the parcel.

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After removing the apparel he had been resurrected in, he strapped on the shoulder-guards and pulled on his boots. Then, he fitted his chest-piece onto his torso and put his helmet to one side.

Then, he unwrapped the parcel.

The cloak was a beautiful design. The material felt like linen, but Entity soon realised that it was much tougher than that. It was a Red Eclipse design, so it was fitted with a communication device on the left-shoulder area. But the main attraction was what the cloak itself had contained.

It was the spine vertebrae of a young Ahamkara.

Each vertebra was very well preserved and nicely fitted onto the cloth it had been attached to. A skull occupied the shoulder of the sleeve and the other sleeve was decorated with armour and metal. Entity felt gratified that the Speaker had gifted him with such a rare present; he would have to thank him when he next got the chance. But right now, he had a date to keep with a certain Warlock.

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The Fallen Captain looked across the timeworn junkyard of the Mothyards in Old Russia through the scope of her wire-rifle. The weapon had been upgraded by the House's Gunsmith and had received a larger heat-dispersion system, as well as a liquid coolant tube linking directly into the barrel. Both of these upgrades helped to lower the charge time between her shots, allowing her to fire faster. The rifle had also received a more advanced scope, as well as a larger magazine. In other words, her weapon kicked some serious ass.

Vixera Naa'kad was alone on the ridge, so she took a moment to herself to relax and went over her version of events leading up to how she'd gotten to where she was right now.

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It had all started about two years ago, when she used to be a Baroness – a good one at that too. She had sworn allegiance to the House of Devils when she was only a young woman, but she had quickly risen through the ranks to become a Captain. She had ferocity un-paralleled by many others in her House, and her strength and natural talent in battle soon gave her cause to the rank of Baroness – one of the very first in the history of the Fallen House. She had been on course to succeed the Kell one day too.

Then _it_ had happened.

It was an important mission, at least to the Kell. She didn't find out why until later, it wasn't important. All she had wanted to do was impress her Kell so he would name her his successor when he was on death-bed. But this mission would change _everything._

It had long been established in the House that she was an expert marksman with the Wire Rifle. A trait that many other Captains and Barons lacked, and so it naturally fell to her to provide sniper over-watch on a meeting between her House, the Devils, and another, the House of Ransack. The meeting was supposed to be a simple trade. The Ransack were in desperate need of Ether, the life-force of the Fallen, as many of their Servitors (who produced the vital material) had been eliminated. In exchange, they would give the Devils a small portion of their territory. Vixera was only there if things went awry.

But the representatives of Ransack were greedy, and they disagreed on the amount of Ether they received, saying that it wasn't enough to sustain them. In reality, it was plenty enough to feed a hundred soldiers for at least two months. But alas, the representatives of Ransack had decided that if the Devils wouldn't give them what they so _desperately_ needed, then they would take what they required by force.

It had all happened so fast, half of the Devils representatives were cut down in moments, and the rest of them didn't last much longer. Vixera had been unable to do anything except watch in rage as the representatives of Ransack desecrated the Devils corpses by extracting all of the Ether they contained within their bodies.

It would only be hours later that she would discover why the Kell had given her - the best sniper of the entire House - such an important duty.

The Kell's own son was among the dead of the representatives.

It hadn't mattered how much Vixera had apologised, because of her failure to protect his son, the Kell had exiled Vixera from the House she had grown up in and had banished her, threatening death if she ever tried to return.

She had walked aimlessly across Old Russia for months, eventually making her way to a place the humans called 'Moscow'. There, she had been found by a scouting party of members of a different House - a House that she was inducted into not three weeks later.

The House of Shadows.

They were a House dedicated to expanding their territory across all of Russia using guerrilla tactics and employing such masterfully executed stealth manoeuvres that they rivalled the Hunter Guardians. And their Kell was a wise (if ruthless) leader. He had evidently seen her talent and skill in battle and soon she had risen to the rank of Captain, though she was better than most due to her previous title as Baroness.

She had quickly mastered the arts of stealth-fighting and Vixera often lead a small group of Vandals into hostile environments, frequently to assassinate a high-ranking official in another House.

Then one day, another disaster occurred.

It had been a routine mission, get in, kill the target, and get out. Simple, but by no means was it easy.

They had made their way into the enemy territory and had eliminated the target; a Baron of the House of Jewels. But when they had attempted to escape, they were ambushed by over two dozen Stealth Vandals. They were led by the very same Baron they had been assigned to eliminate. As it turned out, the House of Jewels had taken notice of the recent attacks on the different Houses of Old Russia and had employed body-doubles in order to confuse and then eradicate the would-be assassins. The 'Baron' that Vixera and her team had killed had actually been a regular Captain in the armour and colours of a Baron.

Then, without a moment's hesitation, the Stealth Vandals had attacked the six-man squad. It had been a bloodbath. Vixera had only survived because of her combat skills. Slashing left and right, she had killed the nine Vandals that her team had been unable to kill themselves before they too had been cut down. In the end, she was also able to eliminate the actual Baron too. He had been a weak opponent; he had only risen to the rank of Baron due to bribery and cunning. She had killed him in cold blood, claiming it as fair revenge for losing her team, it was vengeance.

An eye for an eye.

But she had been heavily wounded, and Vixera had managed to make it to a wayward cave. There, she had lain down on a rocky outcrop, bleeding out and waiting for death to claim her with its icy, fateful grip. She had slipped into unconsciousness, expecting to die in peace.

But the fates had had other ideas, and she had awoken to find a male Warlock leaning over her, tending to her wounds. At first, she had tried to fight back, but she soon realised that she was unable to move her body.

"Hey, relax. It's just an anaesthetic." The Warlock had said, noticing her grunts of effort. "Wouldn't want you to get the wrong idea, now would we?"

She had absolutely no clue what he was saying, but she could tell that he was trying to help her. So she had let him continue. Over the next couple of days, whilst he was tending to her wounds, his Ghost had been able to set up a rudimentary translator. Vixera discovered that he had been on a similar mission to her, as he had been out to kill the very same Baron that she had been ordered to eliminate. He had said that he was just coming over the ridge when he had seen the ambush take place. As he had waited to see who would win the engagement, he had said that he was amazed by Vixera's fighting ability and that he wasn't too surprised that she had emerged triumphant. When he saw her limping into the cave, he had known that he just _had _to help her.

So he'd made his way over to her, only to find Vixera passed out on the rocks, her ethereal white blood pouring from her wounds. So he did the only right thing he knew to do, he wasn't just going to kill her – defenceless as she was. And so he had tended to her wounds, and then Vixera woke up. She knew the rest.

Despite being very thankful to the unexpectedly kind Warlock, she had remained stoic throughout the period of time they were around each other. She had not yelped out in pain whenever he tended to a wound with his magical influences, but she had not thanked him verbally either. It was only when she was able to stand and leave that she actually communicated with him.

"Graticas viix." Vixera had muttered before quickly scarpering.

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She would never have let anyone in her House know it, but she was searching for other Guardians to try to communicate their similarities – Fallen and Guardian. They both wanted to protect their quarry; whilst the Guardians valiantly protected their dying god, the Fallen defended their Kell by any means necessary.

And maybe, just _maybe_, they would realise it too.

So, to achieve her aims, she was out here – searching the wastelands. When she wasn't on assassination missions, or studying the human's language, she was scanning the wilderness – waiting, _hoping_ \- that she would find a team of Guardians that would hear her out.

It was then that she spotted something on the horizon, a pair of Guardians – a female Human Warlock and a male Exo Hunter.

Satisfied with her findings, Vixera slung her upgraded Wire Rifle across her back and scaled her way down the sheer cliff-face. The abundance of arms she had made climbing much easier for her.

"Okay, here goes nothing…" Vixera said to no-one in particular, and made her way over to the pair of Guardians.

**Author's Note:**

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I'm really sorry that it was a little bit late, but I'll try to update as soon as I can.**

**Also, OC Submissions are now closed, but you can always PM me if you need to give an OC and you missed the window.**

**I need to give character ownership to:**

**deltafrost – Josh**

**C. – Ferrum-205**

**RC927 - Vixera**

**Also, I thought that I ought to let you know that I have an Xbox LIVE account. My Gamertag is:**

**RMattieboy216**

**If anyone wants to contact me, do it with that - or you can always PM me. I'm playing Destiny quite a lot, so if anyone would want to join me for a game or two, send me a friend request.**

**Stand firm, Guardians.**


	6. VI - The Meeting

_A Soldier of the Light_

_Chapter 6 – The Meeting_

After two months of searching, Ferrum had finally been able to locate the location of the headquarters for the House of Devils. It had taken a while, but Josh had eventually managed to limit his wrath and left a Dreg of the House alive. In the hours following the capture of the lowly Dreg, Ferrum had successfully managed to interrogate the Fallen to tell him his House's co-ordinates. The Dreg had been disposed of, and the duo had travelled to Old Russia, to a place that was covered in carpet of sunlight. The landscape that stretched before them was barren and desolate, seeming to harbour nothing but the promise of death to the unprepared. Luckily for them, both Ferrum and Josh were ready for the challenges that they would face together. It was at this destination that Ferrum hoped to find a strong Fallen Captain to examine; it wouldn't matter if it were alive, so long as it was still.

Ferrum was wielding his trusty Pulse-Rifle and Fusion Rifle, whilst Josh possessed his Shotgun and Auto-Rifle. Both of the Guardians had been hiking through the landscape when they had seen something… odd, to say the least.

Ferrum could only describe the situation in front of him as astonishing; a Fallen Captain was talking to a pair of Guardians. Ferrum looked over to his comrade, who had also seen the spectacle, and nodded. Josh returned the gesture and the pair began to stalk their way over to the trio of warriors.

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5 minutes earlier…

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Entity and Erebus had been walking beside each other, chatting and laughing, rejoicing in their newfound roles as Guardians. They were idly chatting between themselves and teasing each other. As always, Entity landed shots with his new Allowance_VC4 Sniper-Rifle. And, as always, Erebus gawp in awe as he would take down patrols of Fallen without so much as reloading.

But Entity wasn't one to gloat, and he didn't boast about how much better he was at shooting than Erebus was, even though he easily could have. For he knew that she was much better at other things than he was, for example; she was able to accurately aim most Heavy Weapons, no matter their recoil or weight. It was a surprising trait, especially considering Erebus' petite size and build. But it nothing more than tit-for-tat, and they both knew that they complemented each other skills beautifully.

They were still chatting and being jovial when Entity saw something in the distance that caught his attention. Sensing that something was wrong, he suddenly became serious and indicated for Erebus to stop and crouch down. As she did so, he put the scope of his Sniper-rifle to his 'eye' and tried to make out the source of his apprehension.

It was a Fallen Captain, coming straight towards them. What Entity found strange though, was the fact that the alien was completely alone, more than that, it seemed to have holstered its weapon, so he hesitated to fire at the creature.

Instead, he strapped his own weapon to his back and simply waited for the Fallen Captain to approach them, though he had his hand resting on the grip of the Hand-Cannon that was strapped to the base of his back. His other hand was hidden on the hilt of the machete that he had claimed from the Fallen Captain that he had bested after his first resurrection. Entity had lovingly named the weapon 'Last-Resort' and he had also christened the Hand-Cannon as 'Arbiter', as it had the ultimate say-so of which alien died first in a close-quarters battle.

"I wouldn't go any further if I were you." Entity called over to the approaching Captain. From its build and the shape of its body, Entity could tell that it was a female. The Fallen Captain stopped in her tracks and regarded Entity with cold eyes.

"I come in peace, Guardian. I mean you no harm, either of you." She replied. Entity was very surprised at the Captain's ability to speak his language, but he made sure not to show it as it would make him look weak and unprepared in front of the enemy. Erebus looked the alien from head to toe.

"Who are you?" Erebus asked, the air was pregnant with tension.

"My name is Vixera Naa'kad, a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Vixera replied, doing her best to distil the rigidity surrounding the situation. Erebus knitted her brow together in thought, not sure what to make of this alien.

"I'm Entity, this is Erebus." He said with gestures to indicate who was who. "Why are talking to us like this? Don't Fallen hate the Guardians?"

Vixera let out a chuckle; it was a dry, raspy sound that sounded guttural and mechanical.

"It is true, my species has no love of yours, but neither does yours have any affection for to why I'm here – well, it's a long story-" She began, but Entity cut her off.

"We have time."

"No, Guardian, we do not. In a short while, my subordinates will no doubt come looking for me. I have to make this brief, for I do not have the luxury of time for petty and idle chit-chat." Vixera spat, with a hint of venom in her voice. Entity's grip tightened on 'Arbiter'.

"Well then, you'd best get talking." Entity spoke, his electronic voice hardening. Vixera glared at him, but she soon relaxed and began to speak.

"I am here to… come to an understanding. I belong to the House of Shadows, and before I truly saw the Guardians capacity for care and attention to the wounded, I regarded them as the enemy." Vixera explained. "It was only after my first encounter with a trusting and kind Warlock that I began to see the likeness – the _similarities_ \- between our two species."

Entity couldn't help but become intrigued by what Vixera was saying.

"You see, Guardians, our two species could come to and understanding, a truce. I believe that with the right mind-set and the correct goals, our factions could live in peace."

Erebus gasped almost inaudibly, Entity could understand why. Peace between the Fallen and Humanity? In his opinion, it would be sooner to see the Cabal sprout wings and fly.

"We are not so different, as your dying god would have you imagine. In fact, it is more accurate to say that we have much more in common than you think." Vixera said. She looked around hesitantly, looking in all directions cautiously, as if searching for some unseen danger.

"Go on." Entity said, pressing Vixera to continue her concept about a possible accordance. But the Fallen Captain shook her head.

"Not here, even as we speak I sense two more of your kind watching our exchange with prying eyes." Vixera thought for a moment, deciding on what to do. Suddenly, she produced a holo-pad, a small, round device that displayed a location near the Wall.

"Meet me here in two days' time, there is much to discuss." Vixera commanded - her tone serious and rushed. Entity brought out his Ghost who scanned the holo-pad with a blue light. Once the ghost had collected the co-ordinates for the meeting place, Vixera bid her farewells and scarpered into the landscape of the Mothyards, fading into the backdrop of Old Russia like a whisper in the night – unseen, unheard.

No sooner had Vixera disappeared did another pair of Guardians take her place. One was a burly looking Titan, his Shotgun in hand, anticipating the moment where he could strike. The other was a Warlock, who crossed over to Erebus and Entity with a stormy face.

"Where is it?" The Warlock nearly shouted at the pair. He was an Exo, like Entity, but unlike him, he had almost no control of his emotions. Erebus played dumb.

"What do you mean?" She replied, a puzzled look on her pretty face.

"That Captain, where'd it go? Don't play coy with me. It was here a second ago." The Warlock seemed to be getting angrier, so Entity decided to come clean before he'd have to fight the Warlock.

"Alright, there was a Captain here, you're right." Entity said - dissatisfied that he couldn't keep the exchange between Vixera as the private matter it had intended to be. The Warlock seemed to calm down as his rage died down within him.

"I'm confused. If there was a Fallen here, then why didn't you kill it?"

"We didn't need to. She didn't mean us any harm." Entity replied. The Warlock looked between the two Guardians suspiciously.

"Very well," Suddenly, his features beamed with a smile, though Entity could see the malice behind it. "I'm Ferrum, this is Josh." The large Titan behind him waved, but said nothing, instead opting to scan the horizon for any sign of Vixera or another Fallen patrol.

"Entity. This is Erebus." Entity replied, taking the Exo's outthrust hand and shaking it firmly. He wasn't sure what to think about this Exo, he seemed to mean well but he had a funny way of expressing his intentions. An idea came to Entity's mind.

"That Captain… what did you want with her?" Entity asked, narrowing his eyes at Ferrum.

As if in reply, the Exo sighed and holstered his weapon.

"It all started a long time ago, about two years I think." Ferrum began, "After I was resurrected by my Ghost I wanted to find out what my purpose was."

"What do you mean?" Erebus asked, intrigued to hear the Exo's story.

"My purpose, not as a Guardian, but as an Exo," Ferrum said quietly as he looked towards the Hunter opposite him. Entity remained stoic. "I want to find out _why_ we were created Entity. I've spent most of my time in the Tower, gleaning what I can from the libraries resources, but there's only so much I can learn before I have to get my hands dirty."

For some reason, Entity thought that 'dirty' didn't just mean getting out into the field and he shuddered at the thought.

"You see, I have a theory. The Fallen are rumoured to have once been blessed by the Light of the Traveller when they were a more honourable race, but that all changed when they committed some… heinous act. An action that perturbed the Traveller _so much_, that it left the Fallen and drifted across to our Solar System. That is how the Fallen earned their namesake." Entity nodded to Ferrum, he'd heard of such rumours before. "Well, allegedly - although different sources argue over this - we Exo were created _after_ the Traveller came to Earth. My theory is that the Fallen still have some of the Traveller's influence in them. Think about it, they can build great technologies that resemble the Traveller's appearance. Most of their forces are here, on Earth – why?"

The question hung in the air. Neither Entity nor Erebus knew what to make of the suggestion.

"The Traveller's light is what powers us, Entity – the Exo, the gears and circuits and core processors are kept in working order because of the Traveller's influence. And I believe that the power it gave to us is similar to the power it gave to the Fallen, maybe not in the same way, as the Fallen are not machines. It would seem that the Fallen were once a race so majestic that the very imagination of them would leave us awe-struck. A great pain now strikes me as I look upon them as our enemies. Their very name, the 'Fallen', gives the impression that they once shared our faith – hundreds, if not thousands of years ago. The Fallen were bestowed the Light, by the Traveller or some other form of Light that we may not recognise. It may not have been _our_ Traveller, but the similarities between the Fallen society and ours are based on reverence, the Servitor's and the Traveller respectively, do not seem to be mere coincidence. Granted, the position that the Fallen were originally visited by the Light because the Traveller and the Servitor's share the same geometric shape is a poor argument if left unattended. I must examine the religious and technological overtones to more efficiently explain this possibility. To better identify the Fallen Servitor's with our Traveller, I present the case; Servitor's were created _after _the Fallen were directly influenced by the technology brought on by the Traveller's arrival, correlating to Humanity's Golden Age, the various forms of technology built, produced and perfected all stem directly from the influence of the Traveller. The Fallen would mimic the production of the Traveller through their Servitor's – not only influenced by a dogmatic set of principles, but also a deep reverence for something with an unkempt power. Servitors are living relics of the once mighty Fallen civilisation. Packed with ultra-sophisticated machinery, they process matter and energy into the vital Ether that the Fallen depend on for life. In battle, they support the Fallen with defensive systems and their own powerful energy weapons. Outside, they anchor the Fallen comms and provide vital technological intel. Servitors have complex relationships with each other and with their Fallen crews. Servitors are attached to a Prime, a massive Servitor which exists in an unclear symbiosis with the Fallen Archon Priest. The Fallen are not from this system, this much is assured. They may not even be from this galaxy, but they are undoubtedly chasing the remnants of the Traveller and those that stand with it. We have always assumed that they wish to cause us harm, and while it is true that they do kill many Guardians, perhaps that is not the reason they pursue it; to _destroy_ it."

Entity looked over to Erebus and then back to Ferrum, who concluded his lecture with an astonishing theory.

"What if they want to be forgiven by the Traveller?"

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_2 days later…_

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Long before the Collapse, Humanity had been thrust into a Golden Age, forged by the Traveller's blessed Light that it bestowed upon them. Colony ships, much like the ones in the Cosmodrome, had been filled with passengers and had rocketed towards the other planets of the Solar System. Venus, Mars, Mercury and the Moon had all been subject to the Terra-formers that made these planets new homes for Humanity. But these times did not last. When the Darkness came, it annihilated all but the smallest minority of Humans. After such a catastrophic event, the remnants of what was left of Humanity had gathered directly under the Traveller, hoping against the odds that it would one day reawaken and reboot them into a better time, granting them the ability o repel the Darkness and reclaim the Solar System.

_And they were still waiting, though their patience never seemed to come to the end of its infinitely long tether_; Vixera thought to herself, as she looked out over the shattered ruins of the seven-storey high wall that had once protected the Cosmodrome against the intangible - and unstoppable - force of the Darkness. Now it was nothing but a shell of its former self. It was ironic really, it was as if this wall somehow symbolised Humanity; both were husks of their former selves, clinging to the connection of the past that would ultimately fail and break down over time.

Vixera was crouching down in the tall grass of the outskirts of the territory beyond the Wall. The wild had reclaimed this land, it was a landscape of turmoil and decadence. It was here that the creatures of the Earth now ruled, though none of even the most ferocious animals could stand up to Vixera.

Suddenly, Vixera saw a blip on her radar, approaching at a steady pace. It was coming directly towards her. She stood up, presuming it would be the Guardians she had met just a couple of days beforehand. Instead, she was greeted with the image of another Fallen Captain. He was an Elder Captain, and it showed. The scars and scratches that occupied his armour told the stories of countless battles he had fought in. His shock-spear was gripped lazily in his right hand, but Vixera knew that he would be able to cut her down with the flick of his wrist, no matter how good she was with her own blades. As he approached her, Vixera felt her fists tighten due to the proximity of his presence. She didn't like him, not one bit.

"Hello Sorric. Still taking blood money from hunting your own kin, I see." Vixera spat with measurable malice in her voice. The Elder Captain glared at her.

"It's none of your concern, but don't worry, you needn't soil yourself – I am not here to kill you." Sorric replied, his rumbling voice akin to the sound of the rusty machinery that the Cosmodrome was littered with. Vixera let out a low growl, she knew she was no match for him, but she would not hesitate to blow his head clean off if she got the chance.

"What do you want, Sorric? Why are you here?" She asked, suspicion clear in her tone. Sorric huffed.

"Nothing you need concern yourself with, Shadow. Besides, what would you care if I targeted the House of Devils for you?" He laughed.

"I would not partake in paying such vile vermin as you to do my dirty work for me. I am quite capable of handling those bastards myself." Vixera spoke in a threatening tone. "You are nothing more than a bounty hunter, living off the payment of others to do their dirty work. You are a filthy cur!"

Sorric didn't react to her insult, but his reply carried malice to it.

"I ought to cut you down for insulting someone as powerful as me, but I won't, I am no monster." Sorric growled menacingly. "But you'd do well to remember that I am still a member of the House of Venom, and I would not hesitate to slit your throat for nothing more than a few scraps of Ether." And with that, he left without another word. And Vixera was left on her own again.

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_2 hours later…_

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Entity and his newly formed Fire-team approached the area where Vixera had specified to meet her at. The Fire-team was composed of himself - the elected leader of the group, Erebus – the medic of the group, Josh – the quiet, but admittedly strongest member of the group, and Ferrum – the Void-Walker obsessed with discovering his true purpose, as well as cleverest of the rag-tag team.

Entity held up his fist, signalling the group to stop. He looked around, scanning the area for signs of the Fallen Captain. He knew that she was a master of stealth, and wasn't too surprised when she appeared next to him without being detected by any member of the group.

"Greetings, Guardians. I was unaware that so many of you would be present. It is no matter; I look forward to convincing you all of the similarities our species share. I am here to accord a truce between our species. For too long our two species have been at odds, constantly fighting battles that will make no difference to either of our futures. This is why I brought you all here, to talk and, with luck, arrange a new future between our two races." Vixera's voice was filled with hope and optimism, a trait that was sorely lacked by most of today's Guardians – let alone the Fallen. Ferrum was the first to speak.

"Vixera, we appreciate the sentiment, but I'm not sure that it will even be possible for our kind to spend five minutes in your presence without reaching for some kind of weapon, let alone make peace with the fallen. It's absurd!"

"I admit - Ferrum has a point, Vixera. Our species haven't been the best of friends." Erebus said quietly. Entity continued to stare at Vixera, her armour glistening in the sunlight and her cape billowing in the light breeze. She was visually appealing, even to the Exo's eyes. Entity rationalised that she must have a hard time beating away other Fallen that would wish to be her suitor.

An idea came to him.

"What if we could take you to the City? To the Speaker? I know that he'd gladly convene a meeting with you. He of all people should know that Humanity could use all the allies it can get."

Safe to say, the other members of his Fire-team were initially shocked by Entity's suggestion. But one by one, they nodded their heads, agreeing that a peaceful gathering may benefit the both of their respective races.

All the while, Vixera merely looked at the Exo, a suspicious glare searching his inanimate features for some sign of deceit. Then, after a minute of silently musing over the suggestion, she nodded slowly.

"Yes. You are correct, Guardian. A peaceful conference would be preferred, but I feel I must inform you that I do not speak for the rest of my House, let alone the rest of my race."

"It's decided then. Come with me, Vixera, we have important matters to attend to." Entity said, pleased with himself.

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**Hey guys, I really hope you liked this update. Thanks again to the people that submitted their OC's. I just need to include another person in addition the ever-growing list of characters.**

**Sorric – Razzack**

**That's everything. I hope you have a great week and I'll see you all next Friday.**

**Stand firm, Guardians.**


	7. VII - Two Species, One Goal

_A Soldier of the Light_

_Chapter 7 - Two Species, One Goal_

Sorric looked over the deserted landscape of Old Russia, its derelict state proved inhospitable to some – and deadly to many. But it was home, and Sorric relished in it. The Fallen were able to thrive on most lands due to their uncanny ability to adapt. It was a trait that had proved useful on many of Sorric's hunts.

He was a Fallen Elder Captain, one of the best warriors to ever exist. Due to his skill with his weapon of choice, the shock-spear, he was sought after by many.

It was true that he swore allegiance to the House of Venom, but that didn't stop him from taking on contracts from other Fallen Houses to eliminate targets. He was a hit-man, he had no remorse and no guilt. So long as they paid in full for his services, he would take a job from anybody – and he meant anybody. He was a cold-blooded killer, but he wasn't an assassin – no, that title belonged to Vixera, it was what she insisted on being called.

His years of battling Guardians and other Houses had resulted in his armour becoming more and more scratched and beaten, but it was no worse for the wear. If anything, it helped to remind him that he had survived through so much – how could anything get the better of him now? Especially considering his experience and ruthless attitude to battle.

Sorric huffed to himself, already fed up of watching the sun set on the horizon. He was crouching, immersed in the tall grass surrounding him. It masked his position, and he stared at the descending sun, willing it to fall faster. As if his gaze alone would command the distant star.

Of course it didn't, and he huffed again. Sorric sat on his haunches, rationalising that he only had around an hour to wait before the barren land he looked out upon would be claimed by the night – then he would be able to strike.

He returned to musing over his circumstances.

He had sworn allegiance to the House of Venom at an early age, but had quickly risen through the ranks to become a Vandal and then a Captain. He had only achieved the rank of Elder Captain recently, and he wouldn't allow anyone to take his honour away from him.

As a member of the House of Venom, it was his duty to take on bounties from other Houses. The jobs they gave usually ordered a Venom group to strike against one of the rivals Houses of the House that hired them. It sometimes made for amusing contracts, every so often they'd be hired by one House to raid another, and then a month later, they'd be hired _by_ the House they struck to take revenge on the House who hired them in the first place.

In the end, it mattered little. As long as an employer had sufficient funds, no job was too big to handle. More often than not, it fell to Sorric to handle the more important jobs. The Barons of his House were too busy bickering amongst themselves to do anything productive, and the Kell of Venom was a pitiable - yet brutal – leader. Sorric reckoned that once he eventually became a Baron, he'd challenge the Kell to a battle of succession.

These fights decided who would decide the House's future. A challenger would confront the reigning champion, and a battle would ensue – always to the death. A reigning champion could not refuse a challenge; it was a sign of weakness. If the challenger managed to defeat the Kell, then they would succeed the late ruler until another challenger came and opposed them.

It was a vicious, repetitive cycle.

Sorric couldn't wait. It was only a matter of time before the Kell recognised his ability in combat and to lead troops into battle.

_Little would he realise that my promotion would be his last mistake;_ Sorric thought to himself malevolently.

The lone Elder Captain looked back up to the dying light of the twilight hour and waited patiently for the cover of darkness.

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Meanwhile, Entity and his Fire-team had arrived at the last City with Vixera in tow. She had accompanied Entity in his ship on the journey to the most sensitive point in the Guardian's system.

Much to the surprise of the Exo, Vixera had almost perfectly mimicked Entity's slack-jawed awe upon seeing the Traveller for the first time in all of its glory. His Ghost had enjoyed chastising the Fallen Captain on her mesmerised expression with an old Earth saying;

"What's wrong Vixera, cat got your tongue?"

Entity had only chuckled lightly whilst Vixera had given it a half-hearted slap on its single 'eye'. A few minutes went by before Entity approached the main hangar of the Tower, only to be greeted by the always welcoming voice of Amanda Holliday through the ship's on-board communicator.

"Fenrir-1, this is Tower Actual. We see you on our radar; please state your authorisation code or you will be fired upon. Over." The request demanded, crackling through static and white noise. Entity looked at his Ghost, who floated toward the ship's communicator and expanded into its rounded globe shape.

"Tower Actual, this is Fenrir-1, copy all. The code is Echo-Delta-Zulu-Alpha-Tango. Over."

A moment went by before the reply came.

"Copy, Fenrir-1, you are cleared for landing. Welcome back. Over and out."

With that, the transmission cut off and Entity's Ghost gently guided the ship into a vacant docking- bay. Only stopping to briefly trans-mat both Entity and the now cloaked Vixera onto the Tower's main platform. Only moments later did the other members of the Fire-team phase into existence, nodding to each other, the group set off in the direction of the Speaker's Hall.

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Ferrum looked over to the shimmering spot where the invisible Vixera walked calmly next to him. He knew that they were about to visit the most vital, and therefore most critical part of the Last City. It would be all but too easy for Vixera to launch a surprise attack on the Speaker and that there would be nothing that any of the Fire-team could do about it. Ferrum got the feeling that her intentions were honest, but that didn't stop him from worrying about what they were about to do. It wasn't that he didn't trust her; it was just that she hadn't proved the honesty of her intentions yet.

He kept his musings to himself though. If it came to it, he would gladly lay down his life for the Speaker – for any Guardian, at that.

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As the group approached the Speaker's Hall, Entity held up a hand for the crew to halt. It was a gentle movement, and they all followed the order. On his own, Entity made his way up the grand staircase.

Approaching the Speaker, Entity gave a small bow as the anonymous man in white robes looked over to him, the mask he constantly wore hiding his features.

"Greetings, Guardian. What brings you to me?" The Speaker asked the Exo.

"Well, it's something that we found in Old Russia. Myself and a small team of other Guardians came across something quite… extra-ordinary." He replied, the words coming out of his mouth quite unexpectedly. He was usually quite a quiet, secluded Hunter – never really conversing with others unless necessary. He didn't know why, but something about the mysterious man's soft, wise tones persuaded the words out of him.

"Go on." The Speaker said, intrigued.

"It's difficult to explain, sir. I think it would be easier to show you."

With that in mind, Entity called out to his group that were currently at the base of the grand staircase. As they emerged onto the raised platform, Entity noticed that there were only the three Guardians approaching, but his confusion was soon dismissed as he saw the tell-tale shimmering that let him know that Vixera was also present. Confident, Entity strode over to the Speaker and stood behind his right shoulder, keeping an eye on Vixera – just in case she tried anything funny. It wasn't that the Exo didn't trust the large, powerful, deadly, master-assassin Fallen Captain with years of experience and knowledge under her belt, it was a matter of security that he stood by the Speaker's side. Erebus stepped forward, gesturing to the shimmering, light-bending space that Vixera occupied.

"Good Speaker, may I present; Vixera – Captain of the Fallen House of Shadows."

As the Warlock gave Vixera's formal introduction, the Fallen Captain herself de-cloaked and appeared next to the trio of Guardians. She mimicked the slight bow that Entity had given only a minute beforehand, her graceful movement accompanied with her guttural speaking voice.

"A pleasure to meet you, Leader of Guardians." she said, as she came back out of the bow.

If the Speaker was surprised by the sudden entrance of the large Fallen, he didn't show it. Instead, he simply walked over to Vixera and looked at her with intrigue.

"Of course. The pleasure is all mine. I am glad to finally meet one of your kind without the need for violence."

"As am I." Vixera said as she shook hands with the Speaker. An awkward gesture to say the least, seeing as the female Captain had twice as many upper limbs as the human she was interacting with.

"Good Speaker, I am here to arrange a truce between our two species - an objective that would surely benefit both of our kinds."

The Speaker hummed his agreement. "You are right. Such an agreement would surely be a boon to our endeavour to banish the Darkness from our planets." The Speaker mused to himself. "And this truce, I assume it comes as a suggestion from your House's leader, your… Kell?"

At this, Vixera looked uncomfortable. Her four eyes flitted from the Speaker to Entity, and then back to the Speaker, who awaited confirmation from the Fallen Captain opposite him.

"I'm afraid that this proposition does not come from my Kell. It comes directly from myself and a couple of my closest lieutenants. I do not speak the rest of my House, let alone the rest of my race." Vixera said nervously, seemingly afraid that such information may perturb the Speaker from agreeing to any kind of accordance. Instead, the masked figure nodded.

"Hmm." he sounded in acknowledgement. "I see." He turned away from Vixera, looking out over the last City and over to the Traveller. Entity wondered if he was communing with the dying god in silent conversation. He pondered what it must be like to be able to communicate with such vast, raw power. In the end, he could not even begin to fathom what it must have felt like to share his consciousness with a deity.

The Speaker seemed to contemplate the information Vixera had given him for a few moments longer before turning back to face her.

"Before I give you my response, Vixera, I must admit that this is not the first time that a Fallen faction has attempted to reach some kind of agreement with the Guardian ranks. I doubt it will be the last either." Entity and the others were suitably shocked to hear this information. Vixera probably the most so.

"I hope that one day the Fallen race and Humanity will be able to live together in peace. Perhaps together we would be able to rebuild all that we have lost, Fallen and Guardians. I may not live to see it, but one day – and hopefully, one day soon – there will be harmony at last." The Speaker seemed to profess some kind of prophecy, some vision of the future.

"They say the journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step." The Speaker said to the assembled group, making individual eye-contact with each member of the ensemble of warriors. "And I see this as the first footstep of a brilliant voyage."

With that, the Speaker approached Vixera and offered his hand,

"As Speaker, commuter of the Traveller and Leader of the remnants of Humanity, I humbly accept your offer for peace."

Vixera nodded in appreciation and took his outstretched palm, shaking it firmly. Afterwards, Entity strode over to his squad and looked over to the Speaker. The secretive man then addressed the group of guardians as a whole.

"Guardians, your Fire-team has just attracted a new member." Vixera then looked at the enigmatic man in surprise, and then to her new squad. Eventually, she accepted her newfound role and joined her group.

"Guardians, take this-" said the Speaker, as he produced a handful of Vanguard Commendations "-and give them to your respective mentors. They should give you a reward for your efforts at securing peace. Do not worry, they will not question what actions granted you such gifts, but they will respond to them all the same."

With that, fire-team Fenrir departed in the direction of the Vanguard Gallery. Vixera activating her cloak as they descended the steps.

Entity looked over his group, studying each in turn.

Ferrum, the most intelligent and by far the most remorseless Guardian of the group. He was new to the group, but he was valued almost beyond measure. His cold and calculating approach to battle rather unnerved the Exo though.

He looked over to Josh, the Titan with a lust for bloodshed and the death of his enemies. He was the strong-silent type, his words were few, but whatever he said carried weight to it. It made him a valuable member to the group; his tactical knowledge of warfare was unparalleled.

Erebus. His first and greatest friend, he felt something else for the human woman too, but he didn't know what it was. It made no difference; she was a powerful Warlock – master of both the Voidwalker and Sunsinger variants. It made her the master of destruction _and_ healing in the group, quite the contrast – even for one as decisive and as single-minded as her.

He knew that he had somehow become the de-facto leader of Fenrir. He wasn't arrogant, but neither did he show any prevalent leadership skills a usual commander had in abundance. He was a master sniper, he knew that much, his ability with the long-rifle were unparalleled by most. He could hit targets over a mile away without breaking so much as a sweat. He knew he wasn't too shabby with 'Last-resort' or 'Arbiter' either.

Then over to the female Captain, there wasn't much to say about her. He didn't know who she was or how she fought. He knew that she was a master of stealth, and that she was a brilliant strategist of close-quarters combat. It showed on her armour and blades. Dents and scratches decorated the items, years of experience and knowledge written on them in blood.

He looked over Fenrir and he felt pride in his chest beginning to swell; his fire-team may yet just be revolutionary.

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The sun had set just under an hour ago. Sorric had left his hiding spot in the tall grass and proceeded to the base that a fragment of the House of Knights. It was there that he would find a secret meeting taking place. Well, not so secret, seeing as one of the Vandals of the House had been taken prisoner and had been interrogated in order to reveal the location of the assembly.

Not only had Sorric been able to learn the location of the meeting, but he had been told what kind of force to expect as well as what kind of High-value targets to eliminate. Sorric had thanked the Vandal for his services before slaying him cleanly. It had been helpful; it was the least it had deserved.

Sorric had proceeded to the derelict warehouse the three high-value Captains would be. He had waited until the cover of darkness and then infiltrated the warehouse as quietly as possible.

Using his shock-spear, Sorric had been able to eliminate most of the reinforcing Vandals and Dregs rather discreetly before making his move on the central room where the Captains were scheduled to be.

Now, Sorric took his time climbing up to the rafters of the warehouse in order to gain the advantage of height. He spotted the three HVT's below him and waited to see what they would talk about.

It took some time, the Captains started by discussing current troop positions and other trivial matters and issues. Eventually, they began to talk about the matter that Sorric had been paid half of his sum to listen in on and report back to the House of Years.

"Do you know where the cache is being kept?" asked one of the Captains. He was a burly looking and wielded a wire-rifle in his hands. Another Captain turned to reply to him, she was wielding a Shotgun in her hands.

"Of course. My troops have accessed its contents multiple times. Do not worry, the weapons there are reliable and well-stocked."

The last Captain merely huffed, two shock-swords hung by his sides.

"Enough of this. You know where the cache is, Ser'aa. Just tell us where it is so we may access its contents for ourselves. We have to trade them for Ether. You know that we're running low on supplies!" he shouted angrily.

The female Captain just looked at him. She wore a patronising look on her face.

"Jer'iah, you fool. That is not the plan. You know that we plan to empty the cache and give them to the House of Jewels. We must join them! The Knights are weak; our Kell is all but the feeblest of them all. Our House is done for!" Ser'aa shouted back at him, clearly annoyed at his loyalty to his Kell.

The wire-rifle wielding Captain turned to Jer'iah.

"Ser'aa is right. We must hand them over."

Jer'iah stayed quiet, not daring to talk back to the much larger Captain. Ser'aa placed a hand on each of her companions.

"The Cache is at co-ordinates 22-North, 36-East, segment Delta."

Sorric smiled beneath his helmet; that was half of his payment in the bag. Now for the second half.

Jumping down onto the trio, Sorric stuck his shock-spear through the ribs of the wire-rifle wielding Captain and ran through Ser'aa before she could react. The third Captain dodged Sorric's initial swipe, but was unable to avoid the blow that broke his knee-cap. He called for reinforcements, but none came.

"You're all alone, Jer'iah. Nobody will come to save you, nor will anyone be close enough to this location to hear your dying screams." Sorric growled at the injured and quite scared Captain.

Jer'iah reached for his swords, but was run through by Sorric's spear-head before he could draw his blades. The dying gurgle that accompanied the death of the Knight Captain was a fitting end for the Captain who had been loyal to his Kell until the end. Sorric respected him for that.

But _nobody_ would get in between him and his payment.

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**Author's Note:**

**Hey guys, I'm so sorry that this was a little on the late side, but I've been dry-heaving my meals back up for the past three days. I'll try to stay on schedule for next weekend, but my exams are looming, and I think that my grades will take priority over this story. But don't worry; I'll do my best to finish it before then.**

**Stand firm, Guardians.**


	8. VIII - The Coming Storm

_A Soldier of the Light_

_Chapter 8 - The Coming Strom_

The newly anointed fire-team Fenrir arrived at the Forgotten Shore in Old Russia about two hours after their new assemblage. Vixera had explained that she had to go to her Kell and apologise for being scarce these past few days, and that she would try to re-join the group as soon as possible.

Of course, Entity had not opposed this decision. He knew that it was tactically advantageous to have an agent on the inside. A little while ago, at the meeting with the Speaker, Vixera had told the group that some of her closer lieutenants knew of her philosophy of peace between races. Entity didn't know if they believed in the possibility of a better future between the Fallen and Guardian races. But he suppose that it would be ideal to meet them and see what they thought of the whole Vixera-siding-with-Humanity situation.

Entity's jump-ship came close to the surface of the desolate landscape, trans-matting said-Guardian and his Fallen compatriot before turning to go to Orbit, ready to await it's owner call should Entity require it. The pair walked along the coastal region of Old Russia, scanning their surroundings for any sign of Vixera's fellow House members. They were in their territory now, and it would be all but too easy to ambush the duo.

Entity looked around warily. They were here for the simple reason to make communication with Vixera's lieutenants, and – if possible – talk to the Kell of the House of Shadows.

Suddenly, a war cry broke the relative quiet the pair had been experiencing until then. It was a guttural, angry sound, not unlike the one that had sounded in the plane graveyard after Entity's first resurrection. Entity held up his rifle in the direction the cry had come from, but Vixera quickly stopped him.

"No! You mustn't. If you harm any of my House's members, we will never be able to form a treaty."

The Exo considered her words and proceeded to lower his rifle.

"Then what do you suppose we do?" he replied.

Vixera looked around, just then an idea came to her.

"Be my prisoner." Vixera suggested, her tone obviously supporting the notion that it was a good idea.

Entity had to agree, it was quite an ingenious proposal. If he did such a thing, she would be able to take him directly to the Kell, and it would be there that they'd be able to negotiate a truce. Entity looked over to Vixera and nodded.

"Do it." he said. He could hear the cries of the Fallen closing in on them; he estimated they had around ten seconds before they were discovered.

As Entity trans-matted his weapons to his storage, he kept 'Last-resort' on his thigh though, Vixera picked up a large piece of drift-wood and placed it across Entity's shoulders, who then proceeded to put his hands on either side, rendering his upper-half immobile.

_Seven seconds…_

Vixera shackled Entity's wrists to the piece of wood with some rope, making sure that they were not too tight; she didn't want to be the one to condemn him if things got a little hectic and her cover was blown.

_Five seconds…_

Entity turned to Vixera.

"Hit me." Entity said in a commanding tone.

"What?" Vixera replied, already coining on.

"They'll never believe that you imprisoned a Guardian without you beating me up. Hit me."

Vixera felt guilty, but she knew what needed to be done. She prepared to punch the Hunter in the face.

_Two seconds…_

Vixera landed a blow on Entity that knocked his helmet clean off his head and damaged the area above his right optic eye-piece. The optic itself actually dangled on a piece of wire that kept it attached to his head. His jaw mouth-piece seemed to have been knocked off one of its hinges and a small hole had appeared in the side of his head. One of Vixera's fingers had ruptured his processor, leaving his head sparking and his 'brain' possibly damaged. Vixera was about to apologise for hitting him much harder than she had intended, but just then, a group of Vandals with her House colours appeared on the ridge. They had an assortment of Wire-rifles and Shrapnel Launchers in their hands. Five of them stood there, looking over their prey, their capes blowing in the wind all the while.

One of the Vandals held up one of his four fists and the group lowered their weapons, following their comrade's orders.

"Ah, Captain Vixera, the Kell was concerned that you had abandoned us, nobody has seen you for days."

The central Vandal spoke with a harsh voice; he was clearly the leader of the small squad. He looked over Vixera, then to Entity.

"What is _that_ thing doing here?" the Vandal spoke angrily, clearly agitated at the very sight of the damaged Exo. He raised his rifle slightly, but otherwise made no move to endanger Entity.

"Hold, friend. He is my prisoner. He is the reason I have been missing the past cycle, I have been tracking him to bring to our Kell. I hope to hand him over to an Archon Priest; I hear they love to experiment on these _droids._" Vixera explained to the lead Vandal.

It was a half-truth, she _had_ been tracking him and she did want to bring him to the Kell. But she had no intention of handing her friend over to an Archon Priest.

The Vandal looked from Entity back to Vixera, looking at her with mild respect. It was rare for a Fallen to capture a Guardian, even more so to capture an Exo. Eventually he nodded his acceptance of her excuse. He turned to head back to the House of Shadows' lair, with Vixera and a badly-damaged Entity following closely.

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"A week's worth of Ether for a small army, and some metal scraps for scrap." A Baron of the House of Years told Sorric, as he handed over the crate containing the said objects. "Your reward, as agreed."

Sorric nodded his thanks to the Baron, who was standing outside the main entrance to their lair. Sorric took the medium-sized crate and hefted it onto his Pike. He then turned back to the Baron.

"The Cache is at co-ordinates 22-North, 36-East, Segment Delta." Sorric said, as he shook hands with the slightly larger Fallen. "I hope to do business with you again."

Sorric turned and mounted his Pike, and then he looked over to the Baron.

"Do you mind me asking what you're going to use those?" he asked.

The Baron seemed to consider the request before answering.

"Well, you've told us that those three Captains were conversing about the strength of their House." The Baron laughed a little. "We're going use their own weapons against them,"

Sorric nodded in understanding before turning to go, revving his Pike.

"Good luck." Sorric shouted, as he sped away from the base.

He chuckled to himself. Little did the House of Years know that Sorric had gone to the cache before proceeding to the Years' lair. There, he had packed away all of the House of Knights weapons into crates and called in a Skiff from his own House to come and pick up the supplies he had so lovingly packed.

He also instructed the pilot of the Skiff to have his crew set proximity charges on the entrance to the cache once they had left with the crates of weapons, ammo and scrap metal. When the Years' troops got there, they'd be blown to bits. There would be no survivors. And then, presumably when the group did not return from the expedition, the Kell for the House of Years would take revenge on the House of Knights for rigging the cache to explode - the rigging that had _actually_ been done by the House of Venom.

Sorric chuckled again, this time with more malevolence; he'd have another contract from them within days.

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"Kneel!" the Vandal that had arrested Entity shouted at the Exo, while hitting him across his back with the butt of the rifle he was holding.

To get to the grand chamber he was now in, Entity had been forced to trudge to the Kell's throne-room. The corridors he had marched through had been full of the spiteful aliens, who jeered and spat at him for killing unknown amounts of their brethren. In reality, he had killed very few Fallen, and had killed none of the House of Shadow's group, Vixera had seen to that. But he had known that that was not the reason they had taunted and heckled him – it was _what_ he stood for, not _who_ he was. He was a Guardian, and who knows how many Fallen had been massacred because of their actions.

But it was all part of the plan, it was necessary.

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He had been presented to the Kell, in his shackles and tied to the piece of drift-wood. The Kell in question had looked at the Exo with pity; the Guardian did not deserve the treatment his soldiers had given him. He was guilty of murdering members of his House, that was obvious, but he would not allow anybody to be so cruelly judged without cause for such prejudice.

To that end, he had ordered all non-essential members of the trial to leave the throne-room and allow him to make his judgement on the Exo. His subordinates followed his orders, leaving only him, his two-out-of-three-Barons, and his Archon Priest. He also asked that Captain Vixera stayed in his presence, as she was the one who had reportedly made the capture.

The Kell stood up out of his throne, and his soldiers in the room bowed, with the exception of the Archon Priest of course, they _were_ equals after all. He strode over to the Guardian, confidence present in his powerful walk.

"Speak," he ordered the Guardian, who only looked over to the large Fallen.

"My name is Entity, I am not here to harm you." The Exo replied, his mechanical voice calm and unwavering. The Kell was surprised that the Guardian was able to speak his language, as were the others in the room, but he quickly realised it must have the work of one of the Guardian curious devices, he couldn't remember what they were called – 'Spectres' or 'Ghosts' or something of the kind.

"I doubt that you are, Guardian. You would not be able to harm me, even if you were not shackled to that wood."

The Exo laughed, drawing suspicious gazes from the other Fallen in the room.

"You are probably right, but it still remains true, I have no wish to harm you – shackled or not."

Now the Kell was curious, and his eyes narrowed in response.

"Then why are you here?" he asked. "Clearly, you have no reinforcements this far from your 'Traveller' and no-one here will save you."

Entity made a quick, invisible glance over to Vixera, who glanced back.

"So the question remains, why are you here, Guardian?" he asked, slightly more agitated now.

"Trust me; you wouldn't believe me if I told you." Entity said, an Exo version of a smile plastered onto his metallic features. "Trust me; I didn't either – at least, not to begin with."

Now, the Exo looked the Kell dead in the eyes. His voice hardened and his tone became suddenly very serious.

"Peace." he said simply.

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All the members of the room, except for the Kell and Archon, burst into a fit of guttural laughter. This went on few a few minutes more before the Kell raised his upper-right arm for silence. Eventually, the room became quiet again.

"I have long conversed with my associate, the Archon, on such a matter." he said, the Barons of the room looked to one another in confusion and suspicion. "We too believe that an alliance between our species would be of mutual benefit."

Vixera was extremely surprised to hear this, and she went to say something, but was quickly cut off by the Baron standing guard behind Entity.

"Sacrilege! You would endanger our House by attempting to co-operate with the Humans? It would surely lead us to ruin!" he shouted at the Kell, who looked over to him and stared daggers.

"Silence, Varseer! You would dare question the motives of your Kell? It is you who would commit sacrilege!" the Kell angrily snarled in reply. The Baron seemed to see sense and kept quiet, for fear of another outburst from his superior. The Kell strode over to Entity, and bent over him. His enormous stature made it difficult for him to converse with the Exo face-to-face.

"While it is true that I have long awaited a chance to co-ordinate a truce with your species, I am no fool. I do not believe that your intentions are honest enough to be trusted." he said as he unbound the ropes that shackled Entity to the slab of wood.

"You must prove your intentions to me before I would agree to any treaty with your race."

Entity stood up and clutched his broken face, trying to piece his appearance back to its normal state. He nodded to the Kell, and then addressed him personally.

"Very well, I will pass word of your wishes to my leader and return with the terms of the accord." Entity spoke, as he finished placing his eye into its socket, now he looked as good as new, except for the jaw that was still hanging off. He would get his Ghost to fix it later. Then, an idea struck him.

"As a show of good faith, would you care to allow one of your subordinates onto my fire-team?" he asked. The Kell looked at him, confused.

"Why, would this help in some way?"

"I think it would. It would show that you are not apprehensive about a future alliance between your House and my species. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Entity said, para-phrasing the Speaker.

The Kell thought for a moment, and then nodded slowly.

"Yes, it would seem like a good idea. Take the Captain that captured you." he ordered.

Vixera stepped forward, a smile on her face beneath her helmet, invisible to all.

"This is Vixera. She is one of my best. I hope she does our House proud." The Kell concluded as he stuck out an open palm for Entity to shake.

Entity took the open hand, shaking it firmly.

"I'm sure she will." Entity said, the Exo equivalent of a smile already forming.

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"Ferrum, remind me why we're doing this again." Erebus sighed. Ferrum looked over to her and grunted his reply; his steely mechanical voice unnerved her – just like everything else about the Exo Warlock.

"You know why. We're here in case anything goes wrong. If we spot a problem, say; a rival House approaching the gates, we send in Josh. Then, while he's beating the crap out of the troops, we start picking them off from our vantage point - up here. Got it?"

Said vantage point was high above the Forgotten Shore on a ridge overlooking the coast. Ferrum and Erebus were watching the area with Sniper-rifles in a derelict hut, whilst Josh was at the base of the cliff, waiting on his Sparrow for a quick extraction or to launch himself at an attacking force.

They'd been playing overwatch on Entity's mission to make contact with the Kell of the House of Shadows, and Erebus had gotten concerned when their new-found Fallen ally had struck Entity across the face. But Ferrum had stopped her from shooting, as he had seen some Shadow Vandals approaching the distant pair.

She had been annoyed at Ferrum, but she was glad that she hadn't fired. Traveller knows that she's not the best shot, no, that was Entity's title. She'd never forgive herself if she fired a stray bullet that ended up shooting her fire-team leader.

She didn't want to hurt him. She liked him – quite a lot, actually. Ever since she'd rescued him from Kyle's beating, the two had become inseparable, and not just on the battlefield. She felt lost when she wasn't in his presence, like the world was caving in on her. So she stayed by his side all throughout the day. And when it came to the night, she could only dream about him.

She wasn't too sure what it was about the Hunter that had gotten her so fixated on him, but she didn't need to know. She was quite content, yet she longed to be with him. Others would think of it as ridiculous, an Exo and a Human? It could never work - and yet…

She sighed again, this time in a way that made Ferrum cast a glance over and raise an eyebrow – well, an Exo eyebrow, but it the same sort of thing either way. He shook his head, and looked back out over the Forgotten Shore.

Then, he thought he saw something, a glint in the sunlight – probably just a reflection off of one of the many grimy glass windows that had shattered in the windows of the derelict vehicles. But it didn't harm to investigate.

Ferrum propped his scope up to his 'eye' and looked over to the site of the glint. He was expecting to see something harmless, like a piece of polished metal or a shard of glass. If he was lucky, it might even be an old loot-crate.

He didn't see what he expected. And there was only one word to come to mind.

"Oh, sh-"

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Josh had been sitting comfortably in his small cave that he was calling home for the time being, dozing lightly, but still alert for any request for help that Ferrum might send his way. His Sparrow was only a few metres away, hovering above the ground in a perplexing fashion, ready to be mounted at a moment's notice.

"-it." Ferrum said softly into his communicator that linked to the rest of the fire-team.

Josh looked up in alarm, wary of any danger that may have been nearby. His Shotgun was in his hands within mere moments.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Erebus spoke in reply, speaking Josh's thoughts. Her voice crackling over the white noise and static of the radio frequency they were using.

"It's a whole Fallen battalion. They've got a couple of Barons leading them." There was a moment's pause before Ferrum continued. "I can't tell what House they are from this distance, but they seem to be heading towards the House of Shadows' lair."

Josh narrowed his eyes beneath his Titan helm. Things were about to get _hectic_.

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"Hey, boss, we have multiple incoming contacts. You might wanna tell your buddies that they've got company coming – and they do _not_ look friendly." Ferrum reported to Entity, who had exited the throne-room with Vixera and her lieutenants in tow. He brought up his Ghost to reply.

"Understood. What's their ETA?" he asked.

There was a considerable pause.

"Uh, they're sending in a few squads of Pike's before their main force gets here. The Pikes'll be here in no time, but the infantry will probably get here in about eight minutes, tops." Ferrum spoke urgently. His voice was unwavering though – but he was an Exo, they weren't built to feel fear.

To fear is to die.

"All right, I'll work on persuading the Kell to mobilise his forces and set up defences. In the meantime, you, Erebus and Josh need to work on eliminating those Pikes." Entity ordered in a stern voice.

"But, what about the infan-"

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, just follow my orders. Entity out." He quickly ordered before allowing his Ghost to dissipate into thin air. He turned to Vixera, whose lieutenants had already departed to make preparations for battle.

"All right, Fenrir will do what they can to slow the scouting forces, but you and I will have to persuade your Kell to ready his forces and set up defences for the lair."

Vixera nodded, already knowing what needed to be done.

Together, they proceeded back into the throne-room, only to be cut off by the Kell's Guards. The Kell dismissed his troops and calmly bid that the duo approached his seated form. They did so, and Entity started to inform him of the situation.

"Kell of Shadows, my fire-team has spotted a large force of Fallen headed this way. They'll do what they can to slow them down, but it will rely on your actions to save this lair." Entity spoke hastily. "We have about-"

He checked his onboard clock

"-seven minutes before they get here. We need to be ready before it happens."

The Kell nodded in agreement.

"You are right, we must prepare. No doubt it is the House of Vigil, here to try and seize my territory." he spoke angrily. "We cannot let that happen, Guardian."

Entity nodded.

"Do you have anything that we can reinforce ourselves with? Any Devil-Walkers at all?"

The Kell huffed.

"Of course, but they have not been used in many years for we have never had the need for them in a long while." He stood up and addressed him directly. "Do not doubt that my men will be unable to repel this attack on their own, but your help would be greatly appreciated. It is not every day that another House will attempt to take over another House's territory. They will have thought this through; they will have planned extensively on anything we could do. We would not be able to counter this attack easily."

Entity shifted, bringing out his rifle and other weapons from his Vault. The Kell continued his speech.

"But we have something they would never expect, and therefore would not have prepared for. You."

Entity nodded, knowing how short he was on time.

"Then let's get going." he spoke calmly.

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_Crack!_

The sound of the rifle going off in her hands sent shivers down Erebus' spine. The knowledge that every hit she scored on a Dreg or Vandal resulted in their death was something harrowingly beautiful. She knew that she was nowhere near the marksmanship that Entity possessed, and that she couldn't make herself look at the burst of ethereal white light as another Fallen head popped off its shoulders.

But she was a Guardian – and that title came with the responsibility to protect the Traveller, by whatever means necessary.

_Crack! Crack!_

Another Fallen Captain to add to her growing tally of kills. She smiled grimly to herself, it had to be done. It was her duty.

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"Josh, how are you doing?" Ferrum asked, his sniper rifle booming its own chorus of death as he asked it. As if in reply, a large explosion could be seen close by to one of the rusted ships. The explosion was courtesy of Josh's Rocket Launcher firing a missile directly into the path of one of the Pikes, which blew up in a second explosion. The wreckage of the vehicle could be seen launching upwards with the explosion, and then crashing down on top of another Pike – causing considerable damage. Ferrum chuckled to himself.

"Show-off." he said quietly. Josh only laughed in reply.

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Entity sprinted out of the doors of the lair at a break-neck pace, his Sniper already on his back and his Scout-Rifle in his hands. Vixera followed in hot pursuit, her own upgraded wire-rifle in her hands.

Entity turned to her, ready to impart his orders. However, he soon realised that he didn't need to, as she was already cloaked and heading towards a more defendable location with her lieutenants in tow.

Instead, Entity opened up a comm-link to the rest of his fire-team.

"Erebus, Ferrum, how's the Pike situation coming along?" he asked.

"Just cleaning up the last remnants now. Should be able to focus on the main force in no time." Ferrum quickly replied. Erebus only responded with a crack of her rifle and (subsequently) another Pike blowing up.

Entity stood up and looked over the top of the crate he was using for cover and fire a burst at the first thing he saw, which happened to be a couple of Dregs, which incidentally, happened to be preparing a few grenades. He crouched back into cover and reloaded.

"Josh, what about you?"

"I'm moving on the vanguard of the main force, it should buy the Shadow's a bit more preparation time." he replied through heavy pants and grunts of effort.

It was then that Entity noticed the shimmering of a light-bending cloak rushing towards him. He could tell that it wasn't one of the Shadow's due to the speed it was running at him with, and so he quickly lashed out with 'Last Resort', stabbing the creature through the base of his chin and into its brain cavity – a quick, clean death. It cloak automatically died upon the Vandal's death and Entity saw that it was a Vandal for the House of Vigil – its bright purple cloth attached to its hip confirmed his suspicions.

"Negative, they're already here, plus I doubt that the Shadows need any more prep time, they seem pretty good already."

"Understood, making my way back to you guys."

Nodding to himself, Entity vaulted over the crate he was using as cover and made his way over to the frontline, where Vixera and a few other captains were taking charge. He thought he saw one of the Baron's there too, but he couldn't be sure.

"Vixera. Sit-rep, now." Entity ordered as he approached her, rifle already firing at any enemy stupid enough to come into his cross-hairs.

"We're taking few casualties, but I think that that's about to change." Vixera shot the head off of another Captain some fifty yards away. "My lieutenants have scouted the main force that is approaching and report that they have sufficient numbers to overwhelm us."

"All right. Your Kell is working on getting some walkers up and running, but until then, all we have to do is hold out long enough for reinforcements to arrive."

"Easier said than done, Entity." Erebus chimed in over the comm-link.

"We're Guardians-" Entity said, looking over to Vixera, "-all of us. Impossible is just another word for 'Monday morning'."

That earned a chuckle from the rest of Fenrir.

"We can do this; we've just got to be brave." Entity told them.

"Jeez, dude. Easy on the propaganda, you sound like the Speaker." Ferrum told him, earning another chuckle from the group.

"Be that as it may, my friend, the fact still remains the same; we_ can_ do this." Entity replied, the resolve evident in his voice.

"If you say so," Erebus said quietly as she lined up her sights on yet another Fallen, "'cause things are about to get a little bit hectic…" she commented as she looked out upon the two thousand strong force that was marching towards the Lair of Shadow's.

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	9. IX - The Battle

_A Soldier of the Light_

_Chapter 9 -The Battle_

The Vigil Army was fast approaching the frontlines, and the Shadow's had successfully beaten back their main scouting parties without too much trouble as they had taken minor casualties. A few Vandals had been taken away on stretchers for emergency Ether supplements, but so far, that was the worst thing to happen. The guerrilla tactics that the Shadow's used easily overwhelmed the small groups of Vigils that dared to approach their Lair – but it would be no match for the tidal wave of infantry that would storm the area in less than three minutes.

Entity had been co-ordinating fields of fire for the past few minutes, designating which areas troops should focus fire on. He had also asked that multiple barricades be set up inside the corridors to the throne-room, he didn't want a sneaky party of Vigil gaining access to the Kell before the fight was over – it would make for a short battle.

Sniper towers had been erected and occupied by the best shots of the House. Vixera had joined the tower on the North-face, ready for the coming storm. Entity could already hear the crack of her wire-rifle, sending more and more Vigil soldiers to an untimely grave.

Erebus and Ferrum had retreated from their ridge and were now by Entity's side - well, Erebus was. Ferrum was busy setting up a carefully calculated defensive perimeter, ordering Dregs and Vandals around the edge of the protective fortifications that shielded the boundary. Entity trusted the Warlock to make the right decisions regarding the defence of the Lair, if his icy-cold approach to battle was anything to go by.

"Entity, where's Josh?" Erebus asked him, breaking him from his tactical hypnosis.

It was true, Josh was unaccounted for. The Exo trusted that the Titan had been able to get to a safe location to defend against the oncoming force.

"He'll be fine. It's us you need to focus on." Entity said, thinking for a moment. "Here, take this." He said, as he handed her his 'Arbiter'.

She looked at him in shock and then at the beefy red Hand-Cannon.

"Entity, I can't. _This_, it means so much to you." She said, pushing the weapon away from her slightly.

Entity looked down at the firearm. It was true, he supposed, the gun meant a lot to him. Only because it had been given to him by an older Exo Warlock who insisted he took it. The Warlock had been a good person; he was one of the best in his field. He had been offered a place in the Cryptarch ranks. Apparently, he had knowledge about Cryptographic-Archaeology that rivalled even Master Rahool's abilities.

Sage was his name. Sage-22.

He shook his head, shaking off the memory, he had to focus.

"I'm giving it to you so you can give it me back, okay?" He told her.

She smirked; she was quite beautiful, he admitted.

"Plus, it has a pretty mean punch too – so, you know, that doesn't hurt either." He chuckled, "Come on, get ready, they'll be here any minute." Entity instructed, his authoritative air returning to him.

Erebus nodded and polarised her visor, hiding her face from view. This saddened Entity in a way, as it hid her beauty. She took the Hand-Cannon from his mechanical hand and strode away.

"Ferrum, you ready?" Entity asked over his comm-link.

"All good. I've ordered these guys to set up criss-crossing fields of fire, it should maximise the casualties they inflict." Ferrum responded.

"Good idea. Vixera, how long do we have?" He asked, changing the channel to contact the Fallen Captain instead.

"Not long, I would advise that you position yourself where you can make the best use of that Human Wire Rifle – and hurry, they're almost here." Vixera said in a commanding tone, Entity may have been the leader, but he wasn't afraid to take orders from his team, they were his friends after all.

Entity didn't even bother to reply. Instead, he jogged over to a different sniper tower that was inhabited by a few Vandals with wire-rifles. They nodded to him as he clambered to the top of the tower. Entity took position, and got a good look at the opposition for the first time.

Hundreds, if not thousands of Vigil Fallen were approaching the Lair.

They were being led by some Barons, prominent figures amongst the Vandals that surrounded them. Further back, Entity could make out the misshapen hunks of metal and death that were the Devil-Walkers. There seemed to be three in total.

_We'll cross that bridge when we come to it; _Entity thought to himself.

"Everybody, hold fire!" Entity commanded. Immediately, the fortification he was standing on fell quiet.

"Ready, aim…"

He watched, unwavering, as the first surge of Vigil soldiers approached. The Vigil Fallen approached at a reckless pace, they'd be upon them in seconds.

"…FIRE!" Entity screamed.

Instantly, hundreds of Wire-rifles, Shrapnel Launchers, Shock Pistols and Traveller-knows-what-else unleashed hellfire on the dozens of approaching Fallen. Many of them fell down dead within an instant; others were downed after another moment.

"Reload!" Entity called out.

_Where the hell is Josh?;_ he thought to himself, as another wave of Vigil's charged at the Shadow Lair.

"FIRE!" Entity shouted again.

_It's going to be a long day…_

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Erebus looked over the battle with frightened eyes. She was perched on a high ridge overlooking the raging battle below. She could hear Entity's orders of 'fire' from this distance, which was well over a hundred metres away. His war-cry was often followed up by the deaths of dozens of Vigil soldiers, but they were sending more and more troops with each wave. Soon they would be overrun. The Kell _needed_ to send out those Walkers – and soon, or else they'd lose this battle, and any possibility of a treaty with it.

_Speaking of Walkers;_ Erebus mused to herself as she turned her scope to the vast army that fast-approached the Shadow's Lair.

She couldn't tell how far back it went, as the twists and turns of the valley they were walking through hid their numbers, but she could guess that there were a lot.

Suddenly, she made out the misshapen humps of a Walker amongst all of the Vigil infantry. She took aim at its legs, pulling the trigger once she was satisfied with her angle.

_Crack!_

The boom of her rifle shot the bullet out of the barrel and straight into the foreleg of one of the Walkers. She had equipped armour-piercing rounds that penetrated- well, everything.

It took a moment for the Walker to react. It had recoiled slightly from the effect the bullet had had on it, but before Erebus could squeeze off another shot, the large cannon on the Walker's back turned towards her position, and a red aiming-laser appeared on her forehead. Her eyes widened in shock as she literally jumped over the side of the cliff-face, a few hundred metres above the barren surface of Earth.

No sooner had she leapt, had a large explosion erupted in the space that she had been crouching in, engulfing it in shrapnel and flame. She felt the heat of the blast through the robes on her back, warming her skin. The kinetic force of the detonation had pushed her forwards, knocking her off-course and propelling her towards the infantry below. Landing wouldn't have been a problem, but she slipped into the throes of unconsciousness before she hit the ground. She plummeted down towards the infantry, with only the armoured figures below to cushion her uncontrolled fall.

The last thing she thought before slipping into oblivion was Entity.

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Ferrum saw the explosion from his position on a different fortification to Entity. He widened his eyes in shock when he realised what had happened. He spoke urgently into the comm-link that connected him to his fire-team leader.

"Entity, did you see that? A Walker just opened fire on Erebus' position, she's been compromised! We have to see if she's okay."

There was only radio silence in reply, only the white noise of the radio frequency to welcome his message.

"Entity, I repeat; Erebus has been compromised!" Ferrum repeated.

There was a roar of rage heard over the frequency. Hell, he could hear it _without_ the comm-link. The roar was full of anger and hatred. In the next moment, Ferrum saw Entity mounted on his Sparrow darting straight for the ridge where Erebus had been positioned before the explosion.

"If _anything_ has happened to her, I'll kill them _all_ myself." Entity spoke quietly into the radio before cutting the channel. Ferrum shuddered. Entity's response had sounded almost… human. He knew that his Exo friend cared about the welfare of his team-mate, but he couldn't help but wonder if it ran deeper than mere camaraderie. He wondered if Entity would risk so much to save him, if he were in Erebus' position.

His thoughts were cut off by a Vandal sniper firing centimetres above his head, scorching the fabric on his helmet, forcing him to duck down into cover.

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Josh was in a difficult position to say the least.

He was stuck in a cave that was around fifty metres from the Shadow Lair. Normally, this wouldn't have been a problem, but the way there was rammed with masses of Vigil fighters. Which wouldn't have usually been a problem either, as his trusty Shotgun would have been able to mow them down with ease. But, alas, he had been severely injured by a Walker that was twenty metres away – which was probably still aiming at the entrance to the cave he was inside.

He had been fired at when attempting to return to the Lair, and had subsequently had his left arm blasted off in the chaos. He'd been losing blood for the past ten minutes, and he had attempted to plaster the wound with his Titan Mark that hung at his belt. But all of his efforts had been futile due to his lack of medical knowledge.

A few Fallen infantry had gotten curious and had attempted to enter the cave, only to be mown down by a rather inaccurate blast from Josh's Auto-rifle. He knew he'd have to get moving within the next few minutes, or else he'd lose consciousness and die. He didn't want to risk needing a revive in here, as one of the Fallen may take his Ghost – or even destroy it.

Grunting, Josh stood up and replaced his Shotgun for his trusty Auto-rifle. He would have a hard time controlling the bursts that it shot, but he would have a worse time trying to reload, as he only had one hand available. Josh moved forwards towards the mouth of the small cave and crouched. He made his way over to cave entrance, half-expecting to see a Fallen Walker aiming at his face. But all he saw was the masses of Vigil soldiers rushing towards the Shadow Lair, all too preoccupied with their attack to spot him emerging from his temporary home.

Nodding to himself, Josh crept back into the cave, looking around for something he could use to aid in his escape. He turned, looking around. All he saw were a few bushels of spin-metal emerging out of the ground. His eyes widened.

_Spin-metal._

"Ghost, I need you to help me with something…" He muttered as his personal acquaintance materialised out of thin-air.

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Entity made his way up to the ridge where Erebus had last been seen. The explosion had reduced this portion of the edge to ruins. Dark scorch-marks blackened the ground, and small fires had caught on small hedges and bushes surrounding him. But Entity didn't see any of this; he didn't see the fires, or the rubble. For a moment, he didn't even notice the masses of Vigil Fallen charging towards the Shadow Lair. He didn't _care._

All he could see were the charred remains of the sniper-rifle he had given to Erebus before they had come on this operation.

He slowly walked over to the broken rifle and picked it up; looking over the damaged and bent remains of the gun he had given to Erebus. He stared at the ruined gun, and slowly looked up, to look out over the Vigil soldiers that were setting up a Forward Operating Base near the mouth of the canyon that led into the Forgotten Shore area.

He narrowed his 'eye-lids' at the rudimentary building and then looked back at the broken rifle in his hands. Then a malevolent thought entered his mind.

They'd pay for this, they'd pay for _her_.

"Blood _must_ have blood." Entity said to himself quietly before he began moving in the general direction of the structure.

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Erebus slowly opened her eyes.

The first thing she noticed was the pain. It was everywhere on her body, and it hurt like hell. Deep cuts and harsh bruises covered her skin. She could feel her pulse throbbing all over her body, and it hurt with every heart-beat.

The second thing she noticed was her surroundings.

She was shackled to a wall in a dark corner of a… _throne-room._ Her armour on her upper-half had been stripped from her, leaving her face and arms in clear view. The only thing that covered her decency was a sweat-drenched shirt, as well as some bandages that were wrapped around certain places in her arms to avoid her armour from chafing.

The third thing she noticed - was the company she was in. Around five Fallen Vandals surrounded her. Suddenly, she felt as if she was being scrutinised by the aliens.

Erebus attempted to make herself as small, and as irrelevant as possible. She felt as if she wanted to shrink to the size of a peanut to avoid the Vandals attention.

Then, one of the Vandals broke away from the main group and approached Erebus cautiously. The Vandal slowly approached her and crouched down until he was at eye-level with her, his eyes flicked up to look straight into hers. The blue eyes that seemed to pierce into her very soul were not unlike the stare that Entity would give her from time to time.

Suddenly, the automated doors that led into the room hissed open. A Kell appeared, guarded by his Baron that was not partaking in the attack on the Shadow's Lair. The other members of his guard also stepped through, four in total.

As soon as the doors opened and the Kell for the House of Vigil stepped through, the marauding Vandal snapped up and hastily strode over to his companions.

The Kell strode over to his throne and sat down in it, lazily muttering angrily to himself in a language that Erebus did not understand. The presence of the Kell alarmed her, and she backed into the corner she inhabited. The fear of the Vandal was replaced with the fear of what the Kell may do to her in order to get information on the City. Erebus felt something dig into the small of her back; she shuffled around some more in order to work out what the thing that was poking her would have looked like if she had been holding it. Her eyes widened in revelation.

It was the Hand-Cannon that Entity had given her.

But before she could try to pry it out of its holster, Erebus heard some kind of chaos unfolding outside of the doors of the throne-room. The Kell's guards and the Baron looked at the entrance to the room in alarm. Clearly something was wrong.

Then, the doors to the throne-room hissed open once again, and a figure stepped through. Erebus gasped at what she saw.

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"Will it do?" Ghost asked Josh questioningly.

Josh shrugged a few times to make sure that his new appendage was comfortable. He jumped up and down a couple of times to check that it wouldn't fall off, and then he brought his mechanical hand up to his visor, which was riddled with cracks and hairline fractures. He made a fist, and punched a wall opposite him.

"Oh yeah, it'll do." He said, with a smirk.

He had instructed his Ghost to fashion him a new metal appendage for him to use. He had had some spare Plasteel Plating handy, as well as some Sapphire Wire he had 'found' from some Hunters he had defeated in the Crucible. All of these ingredients culminated in his Ghost being able to create a metal limb for him. It had been surgically hard-wired onto his nervous system in his shoulder, and now he was able to control it as fluidly and as naturally as a real arm. It was lighter, but stronger than Titanium and he had used some pieces of Hadronic Essence he had been given from Ferrum to integrate into the arm's technology. The essence allowed him to channel his natural Light abilities through his arm and into his hand so he would be able to perform his Fist of Havoc Super Ability, as well as perform Storm Fists and all other kinds of mischief.

He grinned to himself.

"You know, Ghost, I think we need to test out this baby. Don't you think?" Josh asked his Ghost, who only chirped in agreement. Josh nodded and shouldered his rifle. He studied the battlefield, searching for a formidable target to try out his new limb on. He scanned the theatre of war and found what he was looking for, a misshapen hump amongst all of the infantry the Vigil had to offer…

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Ferrum downed another three Vandals before ducking back down into cover and reloading his Pulse Rifle. He had been constantly fighting for the past ten minutes, and in that time, the Vigil army had been relentless, but the Shadows were strong, despite their numbers. Vixera had come down from her tower and had joined Ferrum's side. She had slung her wire-rifle over her back, and had taken up a discarded gun that had belonged to a lowly Dreg.

"Guardian, we must keep fighting. My Kell reports that his Walkers will be ready imminently." Vixera reported, her voice tired but hard. She wouldn't give up. She'd never surrender, and neither would he.

Ferrum nodded to her. He knew that the victory of this battle would decide the outcome of this treaty. They had to win; it wasn't just a matter of showing off the Guardian's skill in battle. It was for the future, for the very possibility of peace – for truce.

For _hope._

He stood up and vaulted over the cover he was using as protection. He summoned up his power within himself, channelling his power and mystic abilities into his hands. Then, into energy. Then, into a single annihilating blast of supremacy. His Nova Bomb shot out at the gathering forces of Vigil, a whistling beacon of complete destruction.

_Boom!_

The forceful impact of the purple missile disintegrated dozens of Fallen. Others were knocked off of their feet, forced to pick themselves back up.

A war-cry began, originating from a few individuals in the Shadows force, but it was soon taken up by the others. In the next moment, they were charging, unwavering, unafraid at the possibility of death or oblivion. Ferrum also found himself roaring the cry amongst the ranks of Fallen rushing past him. He also found himself sprinting into the masses of Vigil infantry.

The Shadows were unrivalled in close-quarters combat. They cut down Vigil after Vigil without pausing for breath. Soon, they were covered in blood, but it was not their own. It was the blood of their enemies, and Ferrum felt terrified and elated at the same time. He was shooting Vigil infantry at every angle, droves of dead or dying warriors lay at his feet.

He'd never felt more alive.

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The red mist had descended over his mind; he was cutting down Kell's Guards without a moment's hesitation. All caution for his own safety gone from his mind, all he could focus on was the Kell – who only leered at the Exo.

Entity had stepped into the throne-room expecting a fight, not a massacre.

None of them had stood a chance against the unrestricted, unhindered rage and blinding speed the Hunter took full advantage of. Using 'Last-Resort', Entity cut down the guards with all-too-obvious ease and grace. The Baron put up a fight, but like the others before him, he also fell, ethereal blood seeping from a deep gash in his throat. He sank to his knees clutching the wound, desperately trying to keep in the air in his lungs - but he eventually suffocated and fell onto his stomach.

Entity gave a hard stare to the Kell of the House of Vigil. The Kell in question calmly stood up from his throne and drew his dual shock-swords. If he wasn't brimming with the rage of Erebus' apparent decimation, he would have remembered how much this reminded him of the duel he had contested in just after his first resurrection.

Suddenly, the Kell lunged at the Exo, who wasn't ready for the strike and was consequently jabbed by the end of the sword in his right hand. The pain of the wound registered in his core processor, and Entity decided to manually shut off the receptors beneath his 'skin'.

Then, an explosion rocked the ground beneath them, granting Entity an opportunity to counter the attack that had impaled him. Shoving the blade deeper into his body, Entity crept towards the Kell, inch by agonisingly slow inch. Eventually, Entity got close enough to the Kell to bring his own blade up to the Kell's stomach. Using a large amount of his strength, Entity forced his blade into the large Fallen's abdomen. It slid through the Kell's chest armour and into the enormous warrior's belly with a wet _'thunk'._

The Kell screamed in pain and anger. Entity brought the large Fallen to eye-level.

"Where. Is. She?" Entity spat out. The Kell let out a short, raspy cackle.

"You, Guardian, blind!" He grunted in broken English. "Should… pay more… attention." he chuckled. Then, he weakly raised a pointed finger to where Erebus resided. Entity looked over to where he was pointing, and saw the beaten and horribly bruised Erebus. The Exo's eyes widened in shock and then narrowed in anger as he turned back to the clearly dying Kell. He obviously must have ruptured some kind of vital organ, probably the heart.

Entity 'smirked'. A difficult gesture, considering his metallic facial features. It worked in his favour, as it just made the smile all the more ominous-looking.

"Thank you." Entity stated simply. He withdrew his blade and held the Kell by his throat. Entity then slid his machete into the back of the large Fallen's neck, slicing the Kell's neck vertebrae. It would be a slow, agonisingly painful death for the alien – it was no more than it deserved. It wouldn't be able to move or cry for help. Entity dropped the Kell and walked over to Erebus.

She looked at him with wide, awe-filled eyes. Entity crouched in front of her, bringing up his machete to slice her rope shackles. No sooner had he sheathed his blade did Erebus propel herself into a tight bear-hug with the Exo. The action caught the Exo off-guard, but he quickly returned the gesture.

"I love you, Entity." Erebus told him. "I love you, so much."

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	10. X - Helljumping

_A Soldier of the Light_

_Chapter Ten - Helljumping_

He didn't know what to say. Even if he did, he wouldn't know how to say it. After a few moments of grasping at straws, Entity decided that he didn't actually need to say anything – so he hugged Erebus tighter, not wanting to let her go for fear of losing her. After a little while, he slowly released the Human woman from his vice-like grip. He set her own lightly on the hard ground of the Fallen base, not wanting to cause her any unnecessary pain. She was already badly bruised; he didn't want to make it any worse.

"Are you going to be okay?" Entity asked tentatively, nothing but concern for her in his robotic voice.

Erebus nodded meekly, her deep brown eyes never leaving his own.

"I'll be fine," she said gently, "Thanks to you." She smiled that beautiful smile of hers, reassuring the Exo of her well-being. Entity nodded.

"Be that as it may, we're still going to take it nice and easy, okay?" Entity replied. Erebus nodded again and began to stand up.

Her body was aching all over, the dull throbbing of her heartbeat somehow managing to cause her more pain. She didn't know it at the time, but she had three broken ribs and hairline fractures decorating her left leg like some spider's web. Her face quickly turned into a grimace when she attempted to put pressure on her injured leg. She felt so helpless.

Entity saw her grim expression and hoisted her up to his shoulder, supporting the majority of her weight on his own self. Carefully, so as not to hurt the injured woman, he placed his right hand up to the ear-piece embedded into his helmet. He opened a channel to the two members of his fire-team that h could still establish contact with. He left out Erebus. Partly because she was right next to him, and so didn't require a comm-link to communicate. But also because she didn't have a helmet on.

"Vixera, Ferrum, how goes the defence of the Lair?" Entity asked the white noise and static of the comm-channel. A moment of tense silence went by before the reply came, Vixera being the one to respond to his question.

"Entity, it is good to hear your voice! Ferrum and I had just begun to start wagering on the likelihood of your return from your suicide mission." She laughed; a guttural, mechanical sound.

Entity couldn't help but 'smile' slightly at her response; she had the strangest sense of humour he had ever known anybody to have.

"I, for one, never doubted your safe return. As for the defence of my home," she paused for breath, probably taking a moment to kill another Vigil soldier, "My Kell has mobilised his walkers and we have pushed them back! These filthy mongrels have soiled themselves - they are retreating! News of the death of their Kell is just reaching their ears. I am surprised, Entity. How did you manage to defeat the Kell? I hear he is… _was_… a formidable opponent."

Entity looked over to the still-warm corpse of the Vigil Kell, twitching slightly and surrounded by its dead subordinates. He thought about how he had probably pierced one of his vital organs and then severed his spinal cord.

"Just lucky, I guess." He replied cautiously, not wanting to say something wrong, like how easy it had actually been to best the leader of such a formidable 'warrior'.

"Hmm, very well. Have you secured the woman, Erebus?" Vixera responded.

Entity looked at the beat-up woman next to him.

"Affirmative, but she's going to need medical attention. Ferrum, do you know any simple first-aid procedures?" Entity asked.

"Yeah. Not much, but enough to get her back to the Tower's infirmary in one piece." Ferrum replied begrudgingly, probably not wanting to reveal any of his flaws - of which there weren't many.

"It'll have to do. Have you heard anything from Josh?" the Exo asked, more seriousness coming into his voice.

"Not yet, I'm sure he's fine, though." Ferrum said with certainty. If there was one thing you could know about Josh, it was that he was a survivor – and he didn't go down easily.

"I'm sure you're right Ferrum, I'll get back to you as soon as possible. Entity out." Entity said with finality. He removed his fingers from his earpiece and turned his neck to look at the fragile form of Erebus 'standing' next to him. He gasped slightly when he saw that she had started to bleed profusely from her stomach, she looked as if she was about to faint. All the blood had drained from her face, and she looked to be on the brink of collapse. Entity shook her slightly to keep her awake.

"Hey, stay with me. I'm gonna get you out of this hell-hole, alright?" Entity spoke urgently, trying to keep her attention on him. Erebus nodded her head slightly.

But before he could start walking, Erebus held something in front of him; his Hand-Cannon. Entity 'smiled' slightly and took the fire-arm in his right hand to place in its holster on his right thigh. But before he could thank her for returning the gun to him, Erebus went limp in his arms, fainting completely.

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Ferrum looked out over the chaotic ranks of Vigil soldiers in front of him. Hundreds of Dregs, Vandals and even Captains were retreating from the killer force that the Shadow's walkers provided the soldiers of the House of Shadows with. He had noticed that the two Barons of Vigil were starting to regain control of their troops, rallying them behind their own walkers, preparing for a second assault on the Shadow Lair.

His mind was on other things, though. He was too busy scanning the battleground for any sign of his Titan friend. Ferrum remembered how they had promised each other that they would look out for one another – seeing as no-one else would. He balled his fists in frustration. He was sure that he was fine; it was just… well, he didn't know, he just felt like something had happened to his greatest friend. He gave up, and went back to the matter at hand – the enemy was regrouping.

"Vixera, do you think you can do anything about those Barons?" he asked the Fallen Captain next to him. She shook her head.

"Not from this distance. My wire-rifle would not be able to get them in range, let alone bring down their shields. I would have to get closer." Vixera assured him. He looked over to her, one 'eyebrow' raised.

"How close?" Ferrum asked quietly.

The female Captain smirked beneath her helmet as she removed her twin swords from their sheaths. Ferrum hummed his approval.

"I trust you to kill a Baron; I don't doubt your skills. But I doubt you'd be able to take two on at the same time, let alone with those Walkers guarding them - to say nothing of the hundreds of Vigil soldiers surrounding them." Ferrum pointed out. Vixera nodded, understanding the issue.

"The soldiers should not be a problem. Their leader has just been slain. The only thing keeping them in line is the fear that the Barons use to keep them under their command. We just have to scare them more."

"And just how do you propose we do that?" Ferrum asked.

"We have twice as many Walkers as they do, if that isn't scary, I don't know what is." Vixera said with finality. "But they are old and weathered and wouldn't stand much of a chance against the Vigil's Walkers."

"You're right. We need back-up." Ferrum replied. Vixera looked at him, confused.

"Back-up? We have no chance for reinforcements. Unless you can conjure up some of your fellow Guardians, those Walkers will be a significant problem.

"Chill out, sweetheart. If Josh can pull something out of the bag, we won't need to worry about them."

Vixera growled in annoyance at Ferrum calling her such a dainty thing. She spoke with no small amount of venom in her voice when she replied next.

"Josh? He is nowhere to be seen, he may even be dead for all we know! Nobody has hea-"

"He's alive, alright?! " Ferrum cut in, his voice brimming with anger, "Just you watch, he'll be here! Then it'll be a straight shot for the two Barons, and with it; victory. "

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Josh was standing in the air-lock on the side of his jump-ship, as it flew in stratosphere above the battlefield of the Shadow's Lair, unsure if what he was about to do was possible, never mind safe.

"Guardian, may I please reiterate how incredibly insane this action is?" Josh's Ghost chirped with no small amount of panic woven into his speech.

"Don't worry, I got this. I've done this a million times." Josh replied confidently. He didn't _feel_ confident though, not in the slightest.

"Incorrect." His Ghost said, matter-of-factly, "You have, in fact, _never_ done anything even remotely like this before. Neither has any Guardian."

Josh chuckled slightly.

"Well, you know what they say – there's a first for everything." Josh said as he pressed the button that would open the hatch of the air-lock. He held tighter to the metal bar with his new metal arm. It was the only thing stopping him from falling out of the aircraft. If he let go… well, it was gonna be a _long_ way down.

"Guardian, we are currently twenty-one-point-one miles above the surface of the Earth, do you fully grasp the concept of what you are about to do?" Ghost asked, its tone of voice revealing how adamant it was about what its Guardian was about to do.

"Ghost, if I _did_ understand, I wouldn't be doing this. Now, shut it, or you'll make me doubt myself – then we'll both die." Josh said angrily. His Ghost kept quiet after that.

Taking a deep breath, and praying to the Traveller for success, Josh let go of the bar.

Instantly, Josh shot out of the hatch like a speeding bullet, straight towards the surface of the Earth. For a moment, all he could do was panic, realising what he was about was actually unfathomably insane. Then, he regained his composure and took a deep breath, focusing his mind. He narrowed his eyes, scanning the land below him for his objective. When he saw it, he positioned his body in such a way that would grant him the greatest 'aerodynamic-ness'. His two feet side-by-side, pointing towards the vast abyss of space and his head pointed towards his target. Faster and faster he went, darting towards his mark like a bullet. The quiet of space was deafening, the silence felt unbreakable. Josh's breathing was the only thing to focus on. Suddenly, Josh began to feel hot. The feeling spread across his body like an inferno, scorching the armour on Josh's upper-half. It was unbearable; it was as if he was being branded by hellfire itself.

"Don't worry; it will only last for a few moments. We're entering Earth's atmosphere – it's all downhill from here." His Ghost reminded him. Josh grimaced in effort, he'd never felt pain like this before.

Then, as quickly as it had come on; it vanished. And he could hear the wind rushing past his body. He looked down at the battlefield below him, scanning for any sign of his target. He saw it and realised that the ground was actually much closer than he thought it had been. White wisps of rain surrounded him, coating his visor in droplets of water, only to be pushed off his visor again due to the speed at which he was going.

"Ghost, how long until I hit the ground?" Josh asked urgently, unsure of how long he had. He had to time this just right, or else it would end up in him going _'splat'_.

"Estimating…" his Ghost said, calculating the ever changing distance from Josh to the ground, "You have: 6.74 miles to go, and: 1:17 seconds until you hit the ground."

"Understood. Re-calculate for how long I have until I need to activate the… _thing._" Josh demanded.

"Re-calculating, please wait…" Ghost said, as he recalibrated his sensors to work out when his Guardian should enact the next stage in his idiotic plan. "You have: 3.43 miles to go, and: 34 seconds until activation is required."

"Okay, then, give me a countdown please, Ghost."

"Understood. Twenty-nine… twenty-eight… twenty-seven… twenty-six…" Ghost droned on in a neutral tone. The timer drew closer and closer to his mark, and Josh watched in concentration as the timer displayed in his HUD showed how much time he had left. He was also somewhat aware of the ground that was rushing up to meet him, but he was more focused on concentrating on Ghost's speech and the timer in his HUD to care about such trivial things as the_ ground_.

"Six… five… four…-" Ghost whined on.

Josh took in a deep breath, readying himself for the final stage in his plan.

"-… three… two… one…. Please activate, now."

Josh summoned the power of the Light within him and channelled it into his fists, pooling it into the decimating power of lightning and strength. Josh roared as his Fist of Havoc activated and he gained a burst of speed, propelling him ever faster towards the surface of Old Russia.

"Guardian, at these speeds, you will impact the ground in: fourteen seconds. Good luck." Ghost said before staying quiet for the rest of the journey.

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The falling object slammed into the ground with a blue-white glow surrounding it. Or a moment, everything was deadly silent – nothing could be heard. Everything seemed peaceful. But it didn't last longer than a moment, and then the peace was shattered, and in its place, death reigned again.

The impact alone created a crater at the centre of the Vigil forces, not to mention the bodies and shrapnel that occupied the crater. Instantly, hundreds of Vigil Fallen were obliterated and turned into dust – completely disintegrated. The only thing that marked the mass grave were small pieces of cloth bearing the Vigil emblem across it fluttering in the light breeze that was also destroyed by the force of the impact. Luckily for Josh, the Vigil Walkers had all been bunched together in a tight formation, allowing him to annihilate all three of them in an instant. The soldiers surrounding them had suffered the same fate. In the end, there was only one survivor. Apart from that, there was only death – death and destruction.

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The onlookers of the House of Shadows could only watch in awe-struck fascination as the blast created a shockwave that carried straight over them, knocking many of them off of their feet. When the dust settled, there was much confusion as to what had happened. Vixera had ordered all able-bodied warriors to proceed to the site of the incident, some two-hundred metres off. Any non-injured personnel were to stay behind and tend to the wounded and await further orders.

Ferrum had mounted his Sparrow, and Vixera had commandeered a Pike. Together, they proceeded towards the impact's initial location, hoping to find something to answer their confusion.

They found only death.

"What could have done this?" Vixera asked Ferrum over the comm-link they shared.

"I've no idea." Came his reply. He was at a loss for words. Even if he had the words, he wouldn't be able to know what to say except for one thing; _was there anyone left?_

They came to the crater's deepest point. In it, there was almost nothing of interest. Shrapnel and shards of metal were strewn about carelessly. There were no Fallen bodies, they had all been reduced to the ash that now carpeted the area around the pair.

Then, Ferrum's radar blinked slightly, reading a faint sign of life. The blip was situated at the centre of the crater and displayed the weak heartbeat of a life. As soon as he saw what the blip had originated from, Ferrum wished that he had not seen anything and he wanted to wipe his memory banks of anything to do with this crater.

Josh lay at the centre of the crater. What was more - is that he was dying.

Ferrum could only look at his best friend in utter horror as Josh raggedly drew in breath to a no-doubt punctured pair of lungs. Dropping his Pulse-rifle in the dust, Ferrum sprinted over to his friend and crouched by his side, propping him up so that he could breathe more easily. His visor had shattered; the glass had impaled most places on his face, including his eyes. Blood was coming out of the right side of his mouth, as well as both of his tear ducts. His armour was utterly shredded; and burned and cracked skin was visible beneath its broken remains. Arms and legs were bent at perplexingly odd angles, and his breath came in raspy sighs. Sometimes, when he exhaled, small amounts of blood poured out of his mouth.

"Josh, what happened, buddy?" Ferrum asked plainly. He was an Exo and so he was completely unable to show emotion. It was a blessing, as people were unable to see misery and pain etched onto his features - but it also a curse, because he couldn't show happiness, or sadness or compassion. For fuck's sake, he couldn't even smile correctly! And now, all he could do was watch, looking completely unfazed by the death of his greatest friend.

"I'm… s-so cold, F-Ferrum…" Josh said, his voice quiet like a whisper, "H-Help… me, p-please…. I'm s-so scared… I don't want to d-die…"

"You'll be okay, I promise." Ferrum said, in his infuriatingly neutral voice.

"I… c-can't see. I can't… s-see anything. W-Why?" Josh asked.

"It doesn't matter, because you're going to be absolutely fine. I'm gonna get you to the Tower, and you'll get better, okay?"

Josh stayed quiet, unable to speak anymore. He focused on breathing, on staying alive. His Ghost had been destroyed in the blast, now he was unable to be revived. If Ferrum didn't get him some help right now, he would die – forever. And he wasn't about to let that happen. He turned slightly to face Vixera, who had been watching the scene unfold with utter shock written over her features.

"Vixera, tell Entity that we've gone to the Tower to seek medical attention. I'm sorry, but the victory party is going to have to wait." Ferrum said, and with that he trans-matted into his ship without another word. Both he and Josh phased into thin-air.

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Entity had felt the explosion rock the inside of the Fallen base, and when he finally emerged from the ramshackle building, he saw the full extent of the damage that had been done to the coast-line. He had no idea what had happened, but he was concerned as to what had happened to his fire-team. He opened up a comm-link to Vixera and Ferrum, but the connection to Ferrum's device could not be established due to distance. He pondered this for a moment whilst the comm-channel established a secure line to Vixera.

"Vixera, sit-rep. What the hell happened here?" He asked her when the connection eventually got put through.

"Josh happened." Vixera replied to him, almost at a loss for words.

"What do you mean 'Josh happened', what are you on about?" He asked, confused.

"I am unsure as to exactly what happened, but Josh did something that managed to wipe out the entire Vigil army. Apparently, the action caused him a great deal of damage and Ferrum and I found him in the crater that he made." She hesitated.

"Go on, Vixera." Entity pried.

"He is dying, Entity."

The Exo recoiled from the shock of the news she had just told him. How could Josh be dying? Guardians couldn't die, unless….

"What happened to his Ghost?" Entity asked quietly, the answer already tugging at his sub-conscious.

"It was destroyed in the blast." Vixera stated.

"Oh, this is bad. Vixera, this is really, really bad. We have to get back to the Tower now." Entity commanded, his mind distracted on the hope that his friend was okay.

"No, Entity. I must stay here to tell my Kell of the situation, and discuss with him why you are unable to return to discuss the terms of the treaty."

"I understand. Good luck, Vixera."

"Farewell, Entity. Return soon, so we may begin the journey to peace between our races."

Entity nodded to himself. Erebus was still out cold; Entity would have to get her to the medical wing of the Tower soon.

"See you soon, Vixera." Entity said, as he trans-matted into his own ship, already invoking the director to take him back to the Tower.

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As soon as he touched down on the main court-yard, Entity set off at a jog toward the medical area of the Tower. There, he talked to one of the frames in charge of handling the induction of Guardians into the hospital. As soon as he had ensured that Erebus was in good hands, he made his over to the Emergency Situation Wing of the hospital, only to find his Warlock Exo friend worriedly talking to one of the nurses urgently. As Entity came closer, he could make out what was being said.

"...am sorry, Guardian, but you must wait out here whilst the doctor gives his diagnosis. Once he's done, you'll be the first to hear of the treatment he'll be receiving." She said to him, trying to reassure him of the care that Josh had been taken into. She was an Awoken woman, and rather easy on the eyes too.

"I understand, thank you. Please, do anything you can." Ferrum said pleadingly as she turned to go.

Entity approached warily, unsure of what to say. Ferrum turned to him, his response reading the other Exo's mind.

"You don't need to say anything, Entity. I know what's probably going to happen, but that doesn't mean that you can just waltz in here and tell me that it's all gonna be dandy. I assume Vixera told you everything?" Ferrum said. Entity could tell that he was angry; he didn't need to be a shrink to understand why. It was traumatic to lose your best friend, even for an Exo.

"As much as she could."

"Well, I'll fill you, it looks like we're gonna be here a while anyway…"

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_30 minutes later…_

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The doctor emerged from the diagnosis room, and the pair of Exo's ran over to meet him. His face was grim and looked rather serious.

"I'm afraid that your friend has suffered severe injuries. Under usual circumstances, I'd order his death and then organise a controlled revival. But unfortunately, that isn't an option. Sadly, we have been unable to devise a way to resurrect him without his Ghost. I'm afraid it just isn't possible." The doctor said in a tired, raspy voice.

"And the good news?" Entity asked hopefully. The doctor sighed heavily.

"We have been able to figure out a way for him to live on. But-"

"Anything. Please, Doc, we'll give you anything. Just save him." Ferrum cut in.

"Hold on, Guardian, you'll want to hear this. Our technicians here in the Tower have been able to build a sub-conscious brain and morality transfer device capable of transferring your friends mind from his body into another."

Entity could hardly believe what he was hearing - a device capable of transferring a person's mind into another body? Surely it was impossible.

"We have been able to secure an Exo chassis that will enable your friend to live on, but he will not be the same person you remember. He will still be the same in terms of personality and memories, but…" he hesitated.

"Go on." Entity urged the man.

"In the past, we have had cases that say that such consciousness transfers result in memory loss, dementia, schizophrenia, insanity and in the worst-case scenarios; even death."

Entity looked at Ferrum, pondering on what to do.

He came to a conclusion.

"Do it." He said.

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	11. XI - Evolution and Revelations

A Soldier of the Light

Chapter 11 – Evolution and Revelations

It was all black. Everything was just absolute… _darkness_.

It wasn't the kind of black that he often ventured into when he explored caves or other subterranean complexes – it was absolute, objective oblivion.

The last thing he remembered seeing was his Ghost shattering in his mind's eye before everything went totally black. Ferrum had come to his side. His Exo friend had told him that he was in safe hands and that they were returning to the Tower to get him some immediate medical attention.

He had been subjected to the indefiniteness of unconsciousness shortly afterwards.

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He awoke with a ringing in his ears, like a school bell signalling the end of the day. His head throbbed and his limbs felt oddly heavier than before. Other than that, though, there was little else, let alone the incredible pain he had felt after performing his space-jump. The ringing faded, and he felt as if he would brave the perception of the world.

Slowly, ever so slowly, he began to open his eyes.

His was lying on his back, but all of his limbs were in their proper position, unlike they had been after the… he didn't want to think about it. The cleanliness and all-round hygienic presence of the hospital ward surrounded him. White walls encompassed him, and a door was in front of his body. He was raised off the ground by a metal bed and there was a table to his immediate left with all manner of pumps, monitors and other hospital doo-dahs covering its surface. On his right was a rather bulky looking life-support machine and diagnostic mechanisms, all of which let out a steady, rhythmic beeping sound that probably showed his pulse and other necessary vital statistics.

His head swam, and, quite frankly, he felt as if were about to throw up. But he managed to keep himself dignified. His body ached all over, but he attempted to stand up anyway.

No sooner did he attempt to rise up, did he feel some restraining force acting on his limbs. Looking down, he noticed with alarm that his wrists and ankles were hand-cuffed to the sides of the bed-frame. Panicking, he began trying to thresh out of them, shaking his wrists maniacally, trying to unlatch their vice-like grip on his body. It was only after a few more moments of thrashing that he noticed that something was amiss – and very,_ very_ wrong with him. He didn't notice at first because of his impromptu prosthetic limb he had made for himself earlier when in Old Russia defending the Lair of the Shadows, but now he saw it. As clear as day, he saw… _himself._

He was an Exo.

Thoughts were racing through his mind at a million miles an hour. How did this happen? Why was he an Exo? Who had done this to him? Where were his friends? If he was panicking before, he was having a heart-attack – luckily for him, Exo's didn't have hearts, so to speak, so he knew he wasn't going to drop dead from sudden cardiac arrest. After squirming and flailing for a good few minutes, he began to calm down, trying to piece together what had happened.

He was an Exo, so now he was – what, a robot? No, that's not the right word. He was still_ Josh_. His mind was intact; his cognizance was still with him. It was the vessel, the _body,_ which had suddenly changed. And it freaked him out, big time.

"Hey! Somebody, please, help me!" he shouted out, his own voice completely unrecognisable, even to himself. It was mechanical, and sounded a lot like Ferrum's.

Within a few moments, a group of six or so people came rushing in. Ferrum was in front, and rushed to his side, crouching next to him on the right-hand side of the bed frame. There was Erebus and Entity too, Erebus was limping badly, and used Entity to support her weight, but she was beaming an enormous, quite _beautiful_ smile. He wouldn't dare say anything though, he knew that she was crazy for Entity; he wasn't an idiot that would try and tempt her away. He hadn't known Entity for long, but he could tell that the stoic Exo had feelings for her too. Both of them positioned themselves at the foot of his bed. All the other members of the group were an assortment of doctors and medical staff. One of which went straight over to the life-support machine that was close by.

"Hey, buddy, how're you doing?" Ferrum asked tentatively.

Josh, or whoever he was, looked down in sadness. He shrugged half-heartedly.

"I still feel like me, you know, up _here_." He said, attempting to raise his hand up to his temple, but the manacles stopped his efforts short. Ferrum saw the problem and looked over to the doctor standing over the life-support machine.

"Doctor Vinter, can we remove these shackles please?" Ferrum asked. It sounded more like a demand to Entity's ears, but he said nothing.

The doctor looked over to the Exo lying in the bed, thinking to himself. Eventually, he nodded. Proceeding to take out a small key and unlocking each of the restraints in turn.

"I'm sorry for the shackles. But you must understand, in the past, we have had cases that show that some minds are not strong enough to make the transfer. From time to time, others minds degrade to something beast-like. They would descend into a fit of madness; they would writhe and try to kill everything – regardless of race or allegiance to the Light," He said, totally unaware of how disturbing this was to the other members of the room, particularly the Exo on the bed, "Anyway we mustn't dwell on the past. You were a successful endeavour, my friend! Your mind is strong."

The Exo on the bed nodded, and sat up into a more comfortable position. He was 'naked' in Exo terms. But to any who looked at him, he just appeared to be wearing some kind of armour or metal wet-suit.

"There are a few things that you should consider before you walk out of this hospital." Doctor Vinter continued, "Firstly, you should know that it will take a few days for your mind to recalibrate itself to its new body. Therefore I am discharging you from this Hospital, but I'm afraid that you'll be unable to leave the Tower for one week – sorry."

Ferrum looked saddened by this news, but refrained from protesting. He knew that the doctor was right. Safe to say, Josh was pretty bummed out too.

"Now, you should also note that this Exo chassis in particular is a newer model, one that does not require the assistance of a Ghost to aid and assist in combat scenarios. It is also true that it has a self-repairing and reconstruction function, aided by hundreds of nanites and nano-bots that are powered by the Light of the Traveller. It basically just means that you won't need a Ghost to revive yourself, though it will take slightly longer."

This was good news, seeing as his Ghost had been shattered upon impact of the Fist of Havoc back in Old Russia. Josh nodded in thought, thinking about how such a revolutionary device hadn't been used in other scenarios.

"Lastly," the doctor continued, "Before his death, this Exo was a fully-fledged Guardian by the name of Cybele. Now you have a choice here. You can keep your old name that was acquainted to the old you, or you can have Cybele. Don't worry; you can pick a different name if you want."

Josh thought for a moment, deciding on what to do. Then, he remembered a name that had sprung up in a book that he was reading once. Ferrum had been gleaning information from the Tower's extensive library, and he Josh had gotten bored and picked up a book regarding the ancient mythology of the Golden Age. From it, a name had grabbed his attention, a name that he could relate to. A name that suddenly came to mind.

"Perses, or the guy that was described as the Titan god of destruction in ancient Greek Mythology." He said, his mind made up.

The doctor - and the rest of Fenrir - gave him an odd look, Ferrum the most so.

"Very well, then… Perses, it is." Doctor Vinter replied, "Seems a fitting name, given the circumstances."

Perses 'smiled', a new concept he would have to get used to, now that he was an Exo. He was sure that it would come with many other things that he'd have to get used to. Nodding his thanks to Vinter, and supported by Ferrum, Perses got out of the bed and made his way to his quarters, Entity and Erebus following behind them.

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They were about halfway to Perses' room when Erebus stopped in her tracks, allowing the pair of Exo's ahead to proceed alone. Entity wouldn't leave her side, and she was glad for that. He leaned her gently against a wall of the corridor they were in. He looked at her affectionately with a worried expression written on his usually emotionless metal features.

"Is something wrong? Are you okay?" Entity said in an anxious tone. Erebus sighed.

"We need to talk." She said in a simple tone. This made Entity's eyebrows furrow.

"What about?" He asked.

"Listen, what I said, back in Old Russia when you rescued me from those Vigil? You have to understand, I was so scared. I wasn't thinking straight." She spoke in a low tone, obviously serious.

"So, you didn't mean it. Is that what you're saying?" Entity asked, the coldness and distance he had when they first met returning to his voice.

"Yes. No. I mean… I don't know, Entity." Erebus answered, getting wound up and confused at her own feelings. Entity sighed and looked at her in a way that made her uncomfortable.

"Listen, Erebus, it's okay. You're a human. Your feelings are all mixed up in that head of yours. I get it, all right? You were scared of those Fallen, and I showed up to save you, I succeeded. You were obviously so distracted by the events that happened you didn't have any knowledge of what you were saying before you said it. That's fine." Entity began to get more frustrated, anger creeping into his voice, "I know that it is probably really difficult for you to tell someone that you love them. But you know what? I'm an Exo; I have never known what a _feeling_ is! I don't get to have _emotion_, or happiness or hate or love – especially love! Even if what you said was real, I wouldn't be able to say it back, not with meaning, because I don't feel anything, Erebus! I don't get to _love_ because I wasn't made that way!" Entity almost shouted, he was fuming, unable to control his anger.

Erebus didn't know what to say, she just stood there, gob-smacked. Honestly, she did love him; she just couldn't say it in the right way.

"Entity…" she started, but was cut short by the Exo walking about ten metres in the direction of Perses' dorm then stopped, with his back still turned on the Human Warlock. Slowly, he reached his hand up to his face and just held it over his mouth, unable to comprehend the outburst he had just unleashed on Erebus. He sighed heavily.

He felt terrible, she didn't deserve to be shouted at – it wasn't her fault. She had told him that she loved him, and _this_ was how he reacted? He felt for Erebus, he really did. He held her in the highest regard, but he didn't _love_ her. It wasn't because he didn't feel the same way, it was the fact that he physically _couldn't_, he wasn't programmed to love or cherish. He enjoyed her company, sure, but he didn't know what it felt like to love someone with all his 'heart'. If he could have some say in who he loved, if he were able to, he definitely would've chosen Erebus to be the one to express his feelings towards – but that was wishful thinking.

It just _wasn't_ possible.

He turned to make his apologies for such an outburst, but before he could tell her how sorry he was for his behaviour, she had gone.

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He was leaning on a wall in a large, darkened room with only one source of light. Directly above a chair that held the bruised, bloody and beaten image of a Vandal, allied to the House of Cavaliers.

Rumour had it that the Knights had been divided long before Sorric had gone on his mission to assassinate the three Captains holding the information on the weapons-cache. Roughly half had stayed loyal to the Kell of the House, whilst the other half had splintered off from the main group and had followed the Archon Priest instead, creating a new House with a new name; the Cavaliers.

A bounty had been placed on the Archon Priest, now the Kell, of the Cavaliers for some reason or another. The only problem was that nobody knew where they operated. Such a problem created an issue for Sorric, who was targeting the Archon. He had needed information, and he had known exactly how to get it.

It had taken three days, but eventually he had come across a patrol of Cavalier Vandals, their bright blue 'Knight' mark being replaced with a new orange version. It still had the image of the Raven in it though, and it was how Sorric could tell who they were. He had been a blur, a tornado of fists. None of them had even stood a chance. It had taken about ten seconds to knock out all of the Cavaliers. He had had them picked up by a local Venom Skiff to be taken to the lonely cave he called home.

Now, he was here interrogating them one by one, in different ways, waiting for one of them to break and give him the location of their new Lair. He had been creative in his torture for the most part, and he had to admit, these Cavaliers were resilient and didn't give up the location easily. He'd been at it for days now.

There were five Vandals in total now, there had been six, but… well - one of them wasn't quite strong enough to endure and had taken his secret to the grave. Sorric hoped that the others weren't as withheld.

One of the Vandals was sitting in the chair Sorric was standing next to, beaten to within an inch of his life. It was good tactic, refined by time and tradition. Sorric had punched him almost continuously for the first day, but it hadn't had much effect on him. He had then resorted to cutting the skin of the vandal with surgical precision. The cuts were tiny, but numerous. The pain would be excruciating, and Sorric didn't know what would come first; the begging for the sweet release of death, or the location. It was only a matter of time.

Another Vandal had been locked behind a steel door in a part of the cave that Sorric liked to call 'Sensory Deprivation'. It was simple, but very effective. The room itself was tiny, lit only by a solitary light on the sealing. It had no windows or anything that would betray the time of day to the prisoner. Sorric would keep watch on the prisoner using a one-way window in the door – he could see through it, but the Vandal couldn't. Whenever the prisoner went to sleep, Sorric would wake him up after a few minutes and tell him that he'd been sleeping for hours, or vice versa. It was gruelling for the prisoner, and he'd go insane if not for the sounds of water dripping from the stalagmites above him. Sorric fed him only tiny supplements of Ether, once a day at varying times so the Vandal wouldn't know what time it was. He'd break at some point or another. Again, it was only a matter of time.

Another two prisoners were suspended on the remains of a forklift that Sorric had found nearby. One hung from each prong, their lower pair of hands bound in front of them by rope. The top set were similarly bound behind their back, only this was what hung them from the forklift prong. Their feet were half a metre from the ground. Their position resulted in dislocation, then permanent ligament damage and finally, complete lack of control over the arms, but it was a slow and agonising process. It was probably horrible for them, and Sorric didn't care for that – he just wanted his information, by any means neccasary. Huffing, he walked away and entered a small room, a lot like the one that was housing one of the Cavalier Vandals.

Inside was the last Vandal, tied to a pole that was lodged in the floor. All of his hands were tied behind his back and his head was tied so tight that he couldn't move it or swivel it in any way. His eyelids were held apart by tiny hooks that stopped him from shutting his eyes as he watched the multiple screens at the other end of the room. It was psychological torture more than anything, a lot like the Sensory Deprivation torment. It was mind over matter, pretty much the opposite of what the other three Vandals were going through. On the seven screens present were various and explicit images of all manner of heinous acts. The screens kept cycling on a loop that showed all kinds of things gruesome and grotesque – violent murder, explicit forms of suicide, viscous rats eating dead people and all other manner of other disgusting things besides.

Sorric chuckled quietly and malevolently to himself. It was only a matter of time until one of them broke, and when it happened he could put them out of their misery – or maybe he wouldn't…

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Entity found her, twenty minutes later, in her room.

The automatic door rapidly hissed open, when he went through; he saw something he would never intentionally want to cause.

Erebus was lying face-down on her bed, crying into her pillow. Her shoulders rose and fell in synchronisation with her quiet, racking sobs. Entity wasn't sure if she had heard him come in. Even if she did, Erebus didn't respond to his entrance. Entity went over to her, and sat down on the bed next to the crying form of Erebus. He placed one of his metal hands on her shoulder, running his hand up and down it slowly. She flinched ever so slightly, but her sobbing continued, although it was somewhat softer.

"Listen, Erebus… back there? I didn't mean what I said. It's just… I don't know, I guess it's just been something that I wasn't ready for. But I'm ready now, if you want to try this again, that is." He said in a warm tone, trying to sound reassuring and comforting.

Slowly, Erebus stopped crying and sat up to face him. Her eyes were puffy, and red-raw from weeping.

_Jesus, I didn't want to hurt her this much;_ Entity thought to himself. He took a deep breath.

"Erebus," he said quietly, so no-one else would hear, "I love you." Erebus looked at him with a saddened expression.

"N-no, you're… you're just saying that because you pity me…" she replied, obviously still distraught.

"No," Entity spoke firmly, but still keeping his warm tone, "I mean it. You should have seen me, when I heard about what had happened to you in Old Russia, all I could think about was saving you." He chuckled half-heartedly, "I wasn't sure what I would do without you, I just left the Lair, not even caring if it was over-run in my absence – all I could think about, and all that I could focus on – was _you._"

This time, Erebus realised that Entity really was actually really trying to apologise for his actions, and maybe, just _maybe_ he meant what he said. Instead of replying, she just nodded to him. She smiled in a way that would have made Entity's heart flutter - if he had one. The in one smooth motion, Erebus leant forward towards his face…

…and kissed him on his metal 'lips'.

The sensory neuro-machinery transmitters in Entity's face ignited, giving him the sensation of kissing. It wasn't the real feeling, but it was as close as he was going to get. He returned the gesture and applied a small amount of force in return. But it was only a brief moment, and it didn't last longer than two seconds.

When Erebus pulled away, she seemed much happier.

"I love you too." she said, smirking in an adorable way. Entity placed his forehead on hers, closing his eyes and just enjoying the moment.

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It was a few days before they were contacted by the Speaker regarding the treaty they had so valiantly defended. Once they were informed that it would go ahead, they were also informed of its terms. Vixera had come to the Tower as an envoy for her Kell, as he was the one who ultimately decided what the terms were on the part of the House of Shadows. And it was the Vanguard, in conjunction with the Speaker that decided the terms for the City and the Guardians. The terms were as follows;

No one, on either side of the agreement, was to fire upon the other in an unprovoked manner.

The House of Shadows would grant the Guardians safe passage through their territory.

The City and the House of Shadows were to support each other when the other needed help from the other party, be it in cases of warfare, resource deprivation or otherwise.

Both parties would assume to reconcile, and neither would hold any grudges or disputes regarding any past actions that may have been committed before the agreement of this treaty.

There were other points and agreements too, but Fenrir wasn't too bothered about the finer details or the small-print, they were just happy that an accordance had been reached at last, after all the years of pointless fighting and battling between each other.

They celebrated the treaty in the only way they knew how, by going out on Patrol and shooting anything stupid enough to try and kill them. Perses was still adjusting to his new body, but he didn't seem to be having too much trouble, and he seemed to be handling himself just as well as he did before his transfer. The five of them – Erebus, Entity, Ferrum, Perses and Vixera – enjoyed the relaxation and calm that shooting things they didn't like brought on. Entity was getting ever better with his sniper, and had a contest with Vixera to see who could kill the most things in a minute.

Vixera won - _just_.

But only because she had an adjusted coolant system in her Wire-Rifle that allowed for faster shots, it was also true that she didn't have to reload like Entity did, but he wasn't a sore loser and didn't mind being beaten by his Fallen friend.

Eventually though, they had to go their separate ways. Vixera returned to her home on the Forgotten Shore, and the rest of Fenrir travelled back to the Tower. When they got back, Entity and Ferrum proceeded to Master Rahool to decrypt their respective Engrams. Entity was treated with a Fusion Rifle – Purifier VII, whilst Ferrum was granted a Sniper Rifle, and Entity raised his 'eye-brows' when he sighed with something that seemed to resemble disgust. He had obtained an Epitaph 2261. Ferrum and Entity had walked away, chuckling. They hastily agreed to trade their recently attained weapons, so they'd be made better use of. Entity's smile dropped, he knew what he needed to do, Erebus and he had talked about it with each other over the past couple of days, and he supposed now was probably the best time to tell Ferrum.

"Ferrum," Entity asked, the Exo humming in response to confirm that he was paying attention, "Me and Erebus… well, we've stared… _seeing_ each other." He said, not really sure how Ferrum would react to such news.

Safe to say, it wasn't what he expected, as Ferrum only started laughing. Entity was bemused and raised an eye-brow to put across such feelings to the Exo.

"Well, it's about time!" He said, after his giggling had died down, "You and Erebus, a match made in Heaven, so to speak. I'm surprised it took you so long to do it!" Ferrum said, beginning to laugh again. This time Entity joined in. After a few seconds of celebration, their laughter died down.

"So, where do you want to go with it?" Ferrum asked, the question hanging in the air.

Entity wasn't sure how to reply, because he didn't know how to answer the question.

"I guess… as far as it can go, no matter which direction it goes in." He stated after a moment of thought. Ferrum nodded his understanding.

Just then, one of the Speaker's personal Frames approached the pair of Exo's.

"Guardians Ferrum and Entity, my master has bid that you go to him, he has a special bounty that he would like you to take on." It said in a mono-tonal, lifeless voice.

The two Exo's nodded their appreciation to the Frame, who then led them to the Speaker's Hall, where Perses and Erebus were already waiting. Ferrum looked over to Erebus and smiled knowingly. Erebus picked up on his gesture and acknowledged its meaning.

"I've told Perses here about it too, don't worry, it's common knowledge now. Do you know what this is about? We were told it was about some bounty or something." Erebus told them as the pair of Exo's approached, led by the Frame. Entity told her that he also didn't know, but was keen to find out.

The Frame then turned and addressed the group as a whole.

"My master is waiting for you at the top of the staircase, don't worry, all will be explained." It said in its flat voice. Entity thanked the Traveller that he was an Exo, and not one of these guys, it must have been pretty boring to be them.

They ascended the steps and were greeted by the soft tones of the Speaker's wise voice welcoming them.

"Ah, Guardians, I'm glad you are all here. The Kell for the Shadows has contacted us about an Archon that has caught wind of our treaty and seeks to end such an agreement. Through interrogating one of the Houses members, we've been able to get a location of their base. It is a Ketch, just east of Old Moscow. I would like you to go there and eliminate this Archon by any means necessary." The Speaker said, as if the mission was the easiest thing in the world.

_What does he expect us to say?;_ Entity thought to himself, _'Yeah, sure, we'd love to go and storm a heavily fortified floating stronghold, probably stocked with hundreds of infantry guarding their leader. I've done easier things on the toilet!'._

In the end, it was wrong to refuse such a prestigious task, given out by the Speaker himself. Obviously he must have had faith in them to carry out such a difficult mission. The rest of Fenrir looked to him for guidance on what to do. Entity nodded his acceptance of the task.

"Sure thing," he said, "Just tell us where to go."

The Speaker thanked Entity for accepting such an important assignment.

"As I said, the target is a self-proclaimed Kell who goes by the name of Ra'ghul. He leads a splinter faction of the House of Knights, now named the 'Cavaliers'. You are to board their Ketch and kill this 'Kell', whatever way you please. Great rewards await you upon your return. Now go, Guardians, and destroy the enemy that would wish to sour the fruits of your labour."

Entity nodded, and descended the stairs with his fire-team in close pursuit. He didn't know it, but around about the same time, Sorric obtained this information too.

The hunt had begun.

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	12. XII - No Sacrifice, No Victory

A Soldier of the Light

Chapter 12 – No sacrifice, no Victory

**Near Old Moscow…**

Sorric rode his Pike towards Old Moscow at a furious pace. Finally, one of the prisoners had broken. In the end, it had been the one who was deprived of all sense of living and sleep. This had initially surprised Sorric, as he hadn't expected the sleep deprivation to be enough, but he had remained sceptical. When he had told another of the Cavalier prisoners the co-ordinates, its eyes had widened in shock, ever so slightly. This told Sorric all he needed to know, and had killed all of the Cavaliers in a flurry of movement.

Now, he was eager to take down his mark and return to the House who had organised the Bounty. Nothing could stop him from his reward.

_Nothing._

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**Old Moscow, near the Cavalier Ketch…**

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Entity surveyed the landscape through the scope of his high-powered sniper-rifle. He'd been lying in the grass of a high-up rooftop for the last four or so hours. He was to provide cover for Ferrum and Perses whilst they infiltrated the Ketch to reach its main reactor port, near its engine room. There, they would place multiple explosive charges in various strategic points that Ferrum had worked out along the main heat dispersion system. If destroyed, the engine would overheat within a matter of minutes, causing an explosion that would destroy the ship, killing their Archon… Kell, whatever.

Simple, right?

Well, not so much, seeing as there was over half of the main Cavalier force on-board the Ketch. Despite such things, Ferrum had insisted that he and Perses go alone, as a large group would be easier to spot. Entity saw the wisdom in such an action and had retreated to his new sniping post, waiting for some sign from the pair of Exo's that he could open fire and draw attention to himself so they could escape unnoticed. Then, they would all run for the hills whilst the Ketch, and the 'Kell', crashed and burned.

Well, that was the plan at least.

Entity sighed, and felt boredom creeping in as the sun began to set beside the ancient ruins of the derelict Kremlin, bathing the landscape in a sunset-orange glazing. Erebus had opted to stay with the Exo, her own sniper-rifle poised and ready. Of course she wouldn't be able to hit as many targets as he would, especially from this distance. She was nowhere near as talented as Entity with the long-rifle. Even from this distance, she probably wouldn't have been able to hit a barn-door. Well, _that_ and the fact that she was fast asleep would prevent her from hitting her mark.

Entity chuckled lightly to himself, and then went back to looking through his scope.

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Ferrum watched diligently as another Fallen patrol passed his hiding spot in the shadows. He looked to his left slightly, to see Perses crouched in a similar position to him directly behind him, carefully eyeing the Fallen patrol as well. Letting them turn the corner, Ferrum made a signal with his left hand for the pair to move forward. Moving slowly and carefully, the pair proceeded to their next hiding spot, near a Fallen checkpoint.

The Sun was setting in the Moscow sky, and Ferrum rationalised that there wasn't very long to wait until nightfall. He looked over to Perses and signalled for him to make himself comfortable; they were going to wait for the cover of darkness before infiltrating the Ketch. He didn't want to chance being spotted before getting inside, and he wanted to be seen even less when actually inside.

They would wait an hour before making their move.

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They were like two ships passing in the night.

Neither aware of the others existence, let alone their proximity to each other. Two enemies, set on eliminating the same target. Neither of them knew each other's wishes, neither cared. Individually, they only wanted the same thing – the death of a Kell.

Sorric was also making his way to the Ketch. Only, he was going at it in a much less restrained way, but no less stealthily. Moving like a shadow of malevolence, Sorric' Tai swept over the landscape as a ghost of death.

Unseen, unheard, but not unfelt.

Like a wraith with ominous intentions, he moved from hiding-place to hiding-place, cutting down any Fallen Cavalier unlucky enough to be in the way. Remorselessly, he killed every patrol that was in his approach. He was going about his objective very differently to the Guardians, as he wished to go to the throne-room of the Ketch, facing the Kell in principled combat. He did not believe in honourless killing. A killer should look his victim in the eye as the life leaves his gaze. It would be swift, it would be merciless…

… it would be _soon_.

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Sorric reached the entrance of the Ketch in record time. Unluckily for him, though, bodies of dead Cavaliers had been found and the alarm had been raised. This way, the Kell would be notified and would likely prepare for the intruder to show his face.

It was all going according to plan.

Sorric knew that the Kell would call all of his forces to him to guard the lower floors of the Ketch whilst the Kell himself locked himself in a safe room at the far aft of the ship – right next to the engines that Ferrum and Perses would be targeting. Though this last fact was unknown to the Fallen Elder Captain, and he had planned to infiltrate the Ketch using its aft cooling tube system that would systematically dump excess heat to keep the machine from overheating. Now that the ship was simply hovering in place, it was more than likely that it wouldn't need to dump its cargo. Sorric rationalised that it would take the Kell a couple of minutes to reach the safe-room, allowing Sorric just enough time to get close enough to make his way up the shaft and into the ship. It would take him longer to reach the safe-room though, but he had an over-ride code that would unlock the door for him, allowing him easy access to the Kell.

Waiting for a few minutes to allow the Cavaliers to truly soil themselves, he made his move and started towards the aft end of the Ketch.

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Perses woke with a start. He'd been enjoying a light sleep for a decent half-an-hour before he was rudely awakened by a gentle punch on the shoulder from Ferrum.

Immediately, his eyes shot open and he surveyed his surroundings in alarm, looking for any source of danger. But he was greeted by a sight of his Exo friend, his Warlock robes swishing in the steady wind. He had finger to his lips, indicating that he should be quiet. Perses nodded, understanding the gesture and Ferrum drew away slowly. Removing his finger from his mouth he told Perses how the Fallen at the nearest checkpoint had suddenly gotten wind of some kind of intrusion to the Ketch and had immediately scurried off. Ferrum had notified Entity, and they were accelerating the plan's time window. They would hit sooner, without the cover of darkness to shroud their movements.

Perses nodded again, understanding the issue and the result the pair would need to employ. Standing up, they made their way from hiding-place to hiding-place behind the derelict remains of ancient cars and alleyways, wary of anyone who would spot them. No such thing happened.

Instead, they stumbled onto the dead body of a Fallen Cavalier Vandal. His throat had been swiftly sliced open, leaving the Vandal to suffocate and die. Pints of luminescent blood stained the ground around the Cavalier's neck. And the Vandal was face-down in the dirt.

"What could have done this?" Perses questioned, looking at the body with sad eyes. It wasn't a nice way to go. He'd always thought of himself as a merciful man… well – _Exo._ Killing enemies in the least painful way possible, thus sparing them from the agony of dying gradually.

"I assume that it was our mystery man that attracted so much attention…" Ferrum mused, more to himself than anyone else.

Ferrum walked over, crouched and inspected the body for a few seconds, flipping the corpse and probing the wound thoroughly. Removing his fingers from the deep laceration, he brought it up to his optics, scanning it for metal residue – a _signature_ of sorts that would tell him what weapon killed the Fallen. His eyes widened slightly in realisation, as the perpetrators weapon was identified.

"Shock-spear," he said with worry, "There are only a few Fallen I've known that use such weapons."

"Go on." Perses pressed.

"Well…" Ferrum said, standing up, "From the evidence, I'd say that it's either Retas Va'kuum, a Baron for the House of Spies, but intel on him suggests that he's more of an observer than a fighter – and he's in Old London right now. Or it could be Sorric 'Tai, bounty hunter for the House of Venom - very deadly, very efficient."

Perses thought for a moment.

"I'm gonna go with door number two." Perses said, cocking his large shot-gun.

"We'd best get moving - we don't want him to get there first…" Ferrum told him, thinking about how volatile this particular Fallen was and how he may take the Ketch as spoils of war.

"Let's get going." Ferrum almost ordered, and the pair set off again, this time at a faster pace.

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Entity sighed for the second time in as many minutes.

About ten minutes ago there had been some activity near the Ketch that attracted some attention, resulting in the majority of Cavalier forces in rallying to the entrance to the Ketch. It had been at this point that Entity had woken Erebus up, ordering her to be ready to open fire if Ferrum gave the word.

No such request had been demanded yet, but Entity had a feeling that it would come sooner or later. That Ketch was locked up tighter than the screws in his head.

Entity chuckled to himself at his own idiotic joke, earning an odd look from Erebus.

"What's so funny?" She asked, curious to the Exo's sudden sense of humour.

"Oh, nothing really. I was just thinking abou-" Entity began, but was cut off by Ferrum's voice interrupting his.

"Fenrir-1, come in. This is Fenrir-3." It said over the white noise and crackling of the radio he had mounted on his Red Eclipse cloak. Entity's hard stare returned to his scope, looking for any sign of trouble.

"Go ahead, Fenrir-3, what's the problem?" He asked.

"Fenrir-4 and I need to get a move on, and I doubt we'll be able to get to the objective with these guys guarding the entrance. Is there anything you can do?" Ferrum replied.

Instead of responding, he merely took aim at the head of a Cavalier Vandal and pulled the trigger. Immediately, the space where its skull had once been was replaced with the ethereal white light that accompanied the death of a Fallen soldier.

The other Fallen were slow to react, and Entity had blown the head off two other Vandals before they all scrambled for cover - the dozen or so Cavaliers soldiers seeking out places to hide whilst searching for the source of the shooting. Subsequently, the entrance to the Ketch was left unattended, its guards far more concerned with their own lives than the safety of their Kell.

"Fenrir-3, the way is clear. Happy hunting." Entity 'smiled' as he took a pot-shot at a Dreg stupid enough to poke its head out of cover, scaring it back into hiding place.

"Thanks, Fenrir-1, over and out." Ferrum said before Entity spotted two distant figures sprint into the Ketch, unheeded by enemy or obstacle.

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Sorric had reached the deck that the Kell's safe room was on. Reaching it hadn't been a problem, as only two-dozen-or-so guards had blocked his path. Now they laid dead or dying on the ground around his feet. Sorric smirked at his own skill at battle – no-one could best him. Surely, after the Kell for the Cavaliers had been bested, his Kell would see how powerful he truly was and promote him? Sorric could hardly wait for his turn to challenge and defeat the fool who sat on the throne and commanded his House. He laughed darkly as he approached the large steel bulk-head that prevented him from entering the room the Kell was no doubt cowering in.

_Not for much longer: _he thought to himself, already picturing the Kell's head mounted on the tip of his shock-spear.

He took out his data-pad and inserted it into the terminal next to the door of the safe-room, looking around for any sign of reinforcements. A progress bar appeared on the screen, moving achingly slowly towards the right-hand side. As it filled, Sorric could hear the gears and cogs turning in the bulk-head, gradually unlocking it. No doubt the Kell heard it too, and was more-than-likely preparing himself for intrusion now. Sorric estimated that he had a few minutes to wait before the door opened…

… then he could claim his prize.

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Ferrum and Perses moved at a break-neck pace towards the engine room. They'd encountered little resistance so far, presumably due to Entity's incredible job at distracting them, and any force they did come across was far too small to prove anything close to a challenge.

Arriving at the engine room, Ferrum jogged over to his pre-arranged points, bringing out some explosive remote detonators to place on the struts and supports of the pipeline that carried some cooling liquid inside them. Perses continuously looked in both directions of the corridor, keeping a watchful eye for any sign of more Cavalier's.

After a few minutes, Ferrum had finished his strategic placing of the explosive charges. He had the detonator in one hand, and his fusion rifle in the other. Perses saw him coming, and together they jogged a little ways down the corridor to enter another room. It was here that they took cover behind some relatively safe places like bed-frames and arranged tables.

Nodding to Perses and counting down from three, Ferrum triggered the detonator.

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Nothing happened.

Perses looked over to Ferrum in confusion, silently asking for an explanation as to why the charges hadn't exploded. Ferrum felt like he knew the answer already. Swearing, he threw the detonator at a wall, where it shattered on impact.

"Those fucking Fallen! They must have jammed the detonation frequency! God-dammit!"

Perses lowered his head in defeat; he didn't have any other ideas. Suddenly, the ship began to rumble and growl. Then slowly, it began to move forward and begin an ascent to the clouds.

Ferrum looked over at Perses, realising what was happening.

"They're leaving! They know what we just tried to do… get ready, Perses, we're gonna have some company."

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_20 minutes earlier…_

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Unbeknownst to the pair of Exo's, Sorric had managed to gain access to the safe-room, ready to face the Kell of the House of Cavaliers.

The Kell had been tougher than Sorric had expected, expertly wielding a pair of electrically-charged shock-swords. It had been a furious battle, one that left neither warrior unscathed, but no less well-versed in the art of combat. The Kell, Ra'ghul, had fought with knowledge and strength that nearly overcame the bounty-hunter.

_Nearly._

Sorric knew what he was doing. Ra'ghul was much larger than him, and Sorric used that to his advantage. As he knew that in most cases; bigger meant_ slower_. Using his comparatively smaller size to his benefit, Sorric skirted around the room, dodging and returning blows as he proceeded to jab and parry with the large Kell. He took no shortage of blows himself, and soon his armour was cracking under the unrelenting hail of hits. Sorric feigned left, the Kell fell for it and Sorric took the opportunity to cut Ra'ghul's right thigh. He roared in anger and pain, the red mist leading him to resume his barbaric assault on Sorric, who couldn't help but cry out when the Kell impaled his abdomen with the tip of his blade, sending electricity surging through it. Withdrawing the blade, the Kell backpedalled a little, taking a moment to breathe.

This was when Sorric struck.

Ignoring the intense pain in his abdomen, he rushed the Kell and ducked under the swords that sliced the air mere centimetres above his helmet. Sorric proceeded to shove his shock-spear deep into the Kell's second leg, causing the large Fallen to fall onto his knees, his injured legs unable to hold up his massive weight. Sorric now saw that _this_ was the time to strike.

_Swish!_

His shock-spear sliced clean through the front of the Kell's neck, through arteries and cartilage. A fountain of blood and gore spewed from the large warrior's throat that now knelt before his superior. Immediately, the Kell's hands went to his neck, trying desperately to stop the flow of blood to no avail.

But Sorric wasn't done.

Taking his back-up machete from its holster on the small of his back, Sorric went to work. Impaling the Kell's chest, through the dented and broken armour and through the muscle and sinew of his chest, he caused enormous damage to the vital organs and body-parts inside the Kell's chest. He stabbed the Kell - again and again and again.

He stabbed him at least a dozen times, occasionally twisting the blade for his own pleasure. The Kell groaned in protest, but was unable to stop Sorric's viscous assault on his chest, too busy trying to cease the unending fountain of blood and gore that dribbled from his neck in disgusting rivers. Soon, though the light of life left the Kell's eyes. With a final rasping sigh, accompanied by rivers of blood pouring out of his mouth, the Kell flopped onto his chest and died.

Sorric stood there for a moment before letting out a roar of triumph that reverberated around the small room. Then, he bent down and hacked off the Kell's head from his lukewarm corpse and hung it from his belt, as a trophy of battle and set off in the direction of the bridge, he wanted to do something before leaving.

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He strolled casually into the main bridge, which was currently being occupied by a number of Cavalier Vandals and Dregs sitting in front of consoles and flight controls, no doubt preparing for an imminent take-off, as the alarm had been set off a little while ago. His entrance did not go unnoticed, as it attracted the attention of the Fallen scattered around the room. Immediately, they stood up and drew shock-pistols and daggers, only to hesitate when they saw the head of their leader swinging from Sorric's belt like some kind of great medal of honour or power. The Cavaliers exchanged looks between each other, deciding on what to do, when all of a sudden, some of the Dregs began to kneel down before him. They were closely followed by the others, and soon, the whole room was bowing reverently to Sorric, who only chuckled as he brought out his shock-spear, already lunging at the first Cavalier to slice his throat.

It was over in a matter of moments, though the pain he experienced as he lunged was immense, he used the element of surprise to kill all of the Fallen Cavalier's in the room. He thought to himself how no newly-anointed Kell of a Fallen House probably hadn't sliced up his subjects seconds after being named their leader.

He chuckled quietly to himself at that as he walked over to the main command-console and input the instructions for the Ketch's automated flight-path. Locking in the co-ordinates, he placed an un-armed grenade on the terminal controls. Then, he turned and walked away as soon as the ship began to move, only briefly pausing to pick up a Shock-Pistol to turn and shoot the grenade, causing it to explode and destroy the terminal, rendering the controls useless – there was no turning it around now.

Sorric calmly walked to the hangar bay of the Ketch, just near its belly. Anything more would've made his chest wound even more painful. Walking in, he saw that there were no guards around.

_They must be doing something else;_ he thought to himself.

Shaking his head, he continued to one of the un-occupied Skiff's that littered the hangar. There was no floor to the large room, only the whistling wind accompanying the long drop to the surface of the planet. Walkways allowed people to stride around without fear of falling. At some point or another, the walkways stemmed off into smaller jetties. Some of which were occupied by Skiff's, others were not. Entering one of the Skiff's through its side-hatch, he seated himself in front of the ship's controls, searching for the controls that would allow him to pilot the small troop-transport vehicle. Its cargo bay was currently stocked full of supplies and weapons, and its under-side currently had a Walker attached to it. Spoils of war for his efforts Sorric rationalised. Buckling himself in, he punched the button that would detach the magnetic clamps that kept the Skiff stationary. Presently, the Skiff suddenly plummeted down into oblivion. Activating the throttle and ascenders, Sorric managed to level out the vehicle in the air. He breathed a sigh of relief and, taking one last look at the ill-fated Ketch on course to its final destination, he headed home.

Entity, meanwhile, had been watching the ship as it rumbled and took off into the air, climbing higher and higher as it went into the clouds. Narrowing his eyes at the enormous craft and wondering if it was his two Exo friends that had driven the ship to do such a thing, he tracked its trajectory, his on-board systems estimating where and when it would land. His eyes widened again in shock and horror and he knew that his friends were not the ones to blame for the ship taking off.

The Ketch was heading on a crash-course for the City.

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The pair of Exo's were standing in the coolant chamber, wondering what to do about their current predicament when Ferrum's radio suddenly crackled to life, carrying Entity's voice with it.

"Ferrum, Perses, can you hear me?" he said, a sense of urgency embedded into his voice. Perses looked at Ferrum, confused. The other Exo only shrugged in reply before responding to the initial question.

"We read you, Entity, loud and clear. Guess what? The Ketch just took off – _with us inside of it!_" Ferrum said sarcastically into the mouth-piece embedded into his helmet.

"Yeah, we know. It looks as if the ship is on a crash-course for the City," Ferrum and Perses looked at each other in alarm, "Why haven't you destroyed the coolant system yet?" Entity said, just as sarcastically.

"We tried, but it looks like the Fallen jammed the signal, so remote detonation doesn't work." Perses answered.

A moment went by as Entity thought on what to do.

"Is there a manual overload?" he asked.

"Nope. These explosives didn't come with any option to detonate manually. So that's not an option either." Ferrum responded.

Another moment went by.

"Well, we've got to think of something! If we do nothing, thousands of innocent people will die, and the City will crumble into chaos." Erebus cut in. "Do you think that you could maybe turn the ship around, or in literally_ any other direction_?" she asked hopefully.

The pair of Exo's looked at each other and nodded. They set off towards the bridge. A few minutes later they entered the nerve-centre for the entire ship.

It was a place of slaughter.

Dead bodies were strewn over the floor in odd rag-doll positions. Others were seated at their stations, slumped over the controls, their life-blood covering their surfaces. Worse than that though, was what Ferrum saw next. The controls had been shredded, meaning that they were completely despondent – unable to be repaired in time too. They only had a mere twenty minutes before the Ketch reached its destination.

Ferrum sighed as he gently stroked what remained of the controls.

"Entity, I know what I have to do – and you're not going to like it any more than I already do." Ferrum said, before he reached up to his ear-piece embedded in his helmet and switched it off.

He turned to look at Perses, who was out of ideas. The Exo looked at him, his face hidden behind his polarised Titan helmet. Ferrum had no idea what he was thinking.

"I have an idea." Ferrum said, "I don't like it… but I know that I have to do it. So, just let me do this one thing Perses. Please."

Perses nodded.

"What are you going to do?" He probed. Ferrum shrugged.

"Something stupid."

And with that, he tore off his chest armour and ripped apart his metal torso, exposing his insides. Gears and cogs and blinking lights were cramped into the small space, working in unison to power the Exo, who now delved his hands inside and started re-routing wires and batteries into other places inside him.

Perses watched in horror as Ferrum slowly managed to alter his innards, changing his core workings that enabled him to live. He didn't do anything to stop him though, because he knew that Ferrum did _everything_ for some reason or other – even something as strange and disturbing as this.

Just then, projectiles of arc energy wheeled into the room, spiralling slowly towards the pair of Exo's. Perses immediately realised what was happening and stepped in front of the projectiles, protecting the tinkering form of Ferrum. The shot pinged off of Perses' Titan armour, and he looked towards the origin of the shot, seeing its source. The door was occupied by a Cavalier Vandal who was squawking into its communicator, presumably calling for back-up. Perses quickly shot the Vandal in the chest, downing it instantly. But it wasn't close enough, and soon Perses could hear reinforcements approaching.

"We're gonna have some company." He announced, Ferrum nodded as he kept tinkering with his chest.

"You should probably get out of here. Once I activate myself, there'll be a minimum-safe-distance if you're going to survive. So you need to go. _Now._" Ferrum warned.

"What do you mean?" Perses asked, already putting the pieces together, switching on his helmets communicator to connect to Entity and Erebus before Ferrum conformed his suspicions.

Ferrum paused his tampering, looking up at Perses in a serious manner. All the while, Perses could make out the echoes of Cavalier soldiers coming down the corridors towards them.

"I'm turning myself into a thermo-nuclear _bomb_." He spoke quietly.

"Well, then. I guess you're stuck with me for the time-being. You can't defend yourself _and_ kill yourself at the same time – you have to _at least_ let me do one."

Ferrum smiled and went back to his work and Perses faced the doorway, ready for the coming siege.

On the other end of the line, Entity's hard stare turned to the Ketch, full of defeat and no small amount of shock. Erebus audibly gasped in astonishment.

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"Ferrum, listen to me," Entity spoke clearly into the microphone of his communicator, "Don't do this – it's insane. We'll find another way!"

Ferrum looked down in disappointment but never ceased his constant fiddling.

"I'm sorry, Entity, but there isn't any other way. If there were, trust me, I'd have thought of it." Ferrum replied in a sad tone. Strange, seeing as Exo's had no emotion and were unable to do anything but simulate a feeling.

"Ferrum, please. You mustn't. You'll be killed – you and your Ghost, there'll be no way to get you back." Erebus struck in, attempting to dissuade the Exo from his suicidal action.

"It's me or the City, and _thousands_ of people die. One Guardian, or one-hundred-thousand _innocent_ civilians. The choice is yours." Ferrum said, a steely resolve clear in his mechanical voice.

Everybody was silent at that. It was true. Ferrum could sacrifice himself or he could let thousands upon thousands of innocent die. The choice was obvious – but it didn't make it any easier to lose a beloved team-mate.

"Ferrum, it's been an honour." Entity spoke quietly into his communicator before turning his ship to head towards a safe distance to watch his friend go up in flames. Erebus did likewise and quickly followed suit.

"Likewise, boss." Ferrum responded, sounding a little too… cheerful.

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Perses looked at his friend in understanding, having defeated the Cavalier reinforcements; he now had a choice to make.

Run like a coward, or stay with his greatest friend in a show of defiance to the Fallen and their terrible schemes.

In the end, the choice was simple.

"I'm staying." Perses spoke confidently. Ferrum glanced up, anger written onto his usually stoic features.

"No. I won't let you. One of us _has_ to survive – and it isn't gonna be me." Ferrum retorted.

Perses walked up to Ferrum, the Exo in question took something out from his back-pocket and hid it behind his back.

"Sorry, buddy. But you're not going to get rid of me that easily." Perses said in a firm tone. Ferrum looked to the floor in sadness.

"I know," he said, "And I'm sorry about this." Ferrum whispered. His respect for his greatest friend evident in his voice.

"Sorry about wha-" Perses began, but was suddenly cut off by Ferrum placing the item he'd gotten from out of his pocket onto Perses' chest. It was a small hemi-spherical device that magnetised and latched onto his armour with a '_thunk'_. No sooner had it made contact, did Perses suddenly get trans-matted to his ship. As soon as he touched down, the device beeped – locking down his ships transmit abilities.

Perses roared and shouted, enraged by his friends actions. When he calmed down, he looked out of the port-hole window. Through the thick glass he saw the Ketch, still inching towards its final destination – the Last City.

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On the other end of the transmat, Ferrum looked at the spot where Perses had been mere moments beforehand. He chuckled lightly at how the Titan would fume at him due to his actions. He wasted no time in running back to the command console to check the count-down to impact.

_11:36… 11:35… 11:34…_

The seconds ticked away as the Ketch crept forever closer to the City. Logging the count-down into his HUD, Ferrum ran in the direction of the centre of the ship, where his detonation would have the most effect. His core still needed some finishing touches before he'd become a living_ bomb._ Still tinkering, Ferrum reached the central atrium, just above the Cargo Bay and Hangar. Just as he reached his destination, Ferrum heard the voice of his fire-team leader over his communicator.

"We're in the safe zone, Ferrum. It's up to you now." Entity spoke, calming the Exo's worries regarding his friends' safety.

Nodding rather than responding, he crouched down and made a note of the count-down.

_8:48… 8:47… 8:46…_

His inner core suddenly beeped and flashed a deep shade of red. A warning suddenly flashed on his HUD, informing him about his new condition.

'WARNING: SYSTEM _COMPRIMISED_ \- DEVICE _ARMED'_

Ferrum sighed heavily.

_So that's what we were for. We were _weapons,_ nothing more;_ he thought, his intrigue as to his original purpose now settled, if disappointed.

He opened a comm-link to the rest of Fenrir, to his three friends, but muted their voices, so they wouldn't be able to dissuade him at the last second. Finally, he brought out two sparking wires in front of him. If they were connected, he would… die.

"There are _so_ many ways to be brave in this world. Sometimes bravery involves laying down your life for something_ bigger_ than yourself, or for someone else. Sometimes it involves giving up _everything_ you have _ever_ known, or _everyone_ you have ever loved, for the sake of something greater. But sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes it's nothing more than gritting your teeth through pain, bearing the work of every day, all to get to the slow walk toward a better life. That is the sort of bravery that _you_ _must_ have now."

Everything was quiet. The silence reigned. The whole world seemed to hold its breath. No sound was heard but the quiet, intermittent sparking and crackling of the two wires. The silence was deafening.

Ferrum 'smiled' one last time and closed his eyes.

He connected the wires.

And the silence was ruined.

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The explosion erupted in the centre of the ship and expanded outwards, engulfing a large part of the vessel in flame and ruin. There was very little of the ship left from the enormous eruption. The front section was almost utterly destroyed, with only a small section of its large nose-cone intact, which almost immediately fell to Earth. The back section wasn't much further behind, as it soon followed the front piece into fast descent to the ground. The explosion was visible from the Last City, and a number of Guardians and civilians had massed to the left-hand side of the City to witness the malevolent Ketch inch towards their last safe haven. When it ignited, the shockwave was felt for miles around as the detonation rocked the buildings of the City themselves. And the ships of fire-team Fenrir were sent careening for a few moments.

Their faces each described a different emotion. Entity was shocked at such a bold action, and Erebus showed nothing but sorrow and began to cry at the loss of her team-mate. Perses looked at the explosion and its emerging mushroom cloud with anger, but his anger was soon eclipsed by his sorrow at losing his greatest friend… no, more than that. He'd lost his _brother_. Only now did he realise his bond with the Exo, and he wished he could see him one last time.

"Let's… get back to the, er…" Entity cleared his throat, trying to assemble some of his authority again, "Let's get to the Lair of the House of Shadows, Vixera has a right to know what happened here."

Instead of responding, the remaining members of fire-team Fenrir nodded and directed their ships to return to Old Russia.

The smoke was beginning to rise from the crash-site, as was the Sun beginning to dawn over the ruined landscape that the human race called home. Perses made a silent promise to return here at some point and find whatever remained of Ferrum.

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A few moments after the explosion, a beacon pinged on a certain frequency. The frequency was in a direct link with the Lair of the House of Knights, the original House that the Ketch had belonged to. A Dreg technician sat at his terminal, monitoring the frequencies. If a patrol or Knight squad called in for reinforcements or a medical team, he was the one to pass on their demands to a Skiff or another team in the area. It was a boring role. But it had its perks.

Such as right now.

The beacon suddenly drew his attention, and when the Dreg read it, his eyes widened and he passed on word to his Vandal supervisor, who also widened his eyes and made his way to his way to one of the Kell's Guards. The Kell's Guard then went directly to the Kell, as he had to be the one to break the news. It was part of his job to defend his Kell and approach him when it was required.

Such as right now.

"My Kell," he said, kneeling respectfully in front of the large warrior, "We have received word on the whereabouts of our stolen Ketch."

At this, the Kell's eyes widened. He leaned closer to the Guard.

"It has been destroyed, by _Guardians._" The Kell's Guard said quietly, already knowing how the Kell would react.

The Kell roared in anger.

"What of the Archon, that treacherous Ra'Ghul?" He replied angrily.

"He has been slain, my lord. What should we do?"

The Guard looked up at his Kell, who paused to think for a moment.

"Contact Sorric, we have need of his… _services_. Those Guardians will _pay_." The Kell spoke in a malevolent tone.

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**Author's Note:**

**I felt pretty terrible writing this chapter – I really liked Ferrum!**

**Wow, I can't believe that we're at Chapter 12! It feels like yesterday that I posted the first chapter, and you guys have done nothing but support me, and I thank you for that! I've just got a couple of announcements to make before I leave you all. Here goes…**

**My exams officially begin on the 11****th**** May, and don't end until June 19****th****; so unfortunately, I won't be posting anytime soon. Sorry guys. Don't worry; I will be back, and so will Fenrir. Which brings me to my next point.**

**Ferrum's death wasn't in vain, and I'd like to personally thank C.J. Robbins for allowing me to use his OC. That said, it looks like I have a spot on Entity's fire-team that needs filling up, and so I'm happy to announce that OC Submissions have re-opened! Please send everything you can, and I'll decide who makes the cut. It's likely that pretty much every OC will be crow-barred into the story one way or another, so don't be a stranger! (btw, OC's that are less descriptive are less likely to be chosen, so please give as much detail as you can!)**

**Lastly, what happened to the reviews guys? I don't know if you guys like what I'm doing or not, but I read every review and your opinion goes a loooonngg way – trust me. I'm not one to ball-ache, but I do feel a little bit put out and unappreciated for all the hard work I've been putting in for you guys. At the end of the day, YOU guys are the people I'm doing this for – so please, just tell me how I'm doing, okay?**

**Anyway, that's about it. Another big thank you to C.J. Robbins for Ferrum!**

**See you all star-side!**

**And as always - stand firm, Guardians.**


	13. XIII - Reverberations

A Soldier of the Light

Chapter 13 - Reverberations

The impact of Ferrum's death was finally beginning to dawn on the surviving members of Fenrir.

It had really hit home when they had talked to Vixera about it. It was always much more difficult telling something to someone in person, and the news about Ferrum's death wasn't made any easier by Vixera's mournful expression. Entity had broken the news as gently as possible, as it was never easy to lose a team-mate, and he had known that she had begun to trust the now-deceased Exo - especially after their joint efforts at defending the Lair together.

Initially, Vixera had denied such a thing, as she knew that Guardians could resurrect themselves using their Ghosts. But after reassurances that he would be unable to return due to the destruction of his Ghost, she finally began to realise how devastating this blow was to Fenrir's morale.

Together, they had notified the Kell for the House of Shadows of their comrade's untimely end. And he had extended his apologies to them. Entity had thanked the large warrior, and then proceeded to inform him of how the Kell for the Cavaliers had been killed as a result of the blast.

At this, the Kell had congratulated the trio. Commenting on how he would have gone after the _'koljat' _(Fallen tongue for 'bastard') himself, but his House was unable to launch any kind of attack so soon after the major incursion with the House of Vigil.

"As a sign of respect to your fallen comrade and as a reward for defeating the Kell for the Cavaliers," the Kell said to the Guardians and Vixera, his speech translated via Entity's Ghost, "I would like to extend my permission for each of you to take a single selection of your choice from my personal armoury. Armour piece or weapon, they are yours by right." He concluded.

The three Guardians were shocked but very thankful for such an action. Erebus and Entity extended their thanks to the Kell, but Perses remained stoic throughout, grieving the loss of his greatest friend. Entity was concerned about the Titan after the terrible loss of his partner. But he eventually nodded his own gratitude to the Kell, who returned the gesture.

The Kell waved them away and Vixera proceeded to show the trio the location of his personal armoury, indicating what an honour it was to be allowed to take an item from his own ordnance depot. She led them to a bulk-head door that was accompanied by a terminal on its right-hand side. Vixera walked over to the terminal and punched in the pass-code. There was a decisive beep, quickly followed by the bulk-head opening, revealing the room beyond.

What they saw took Entity's breath away.

The room was about ten-metres-by-twenty-metres in size, and it was chock-full of weapon racks and armour brackets. Nearly every available space in these frames was occupied by armour pieces or weapons. There was something for everyone here. Straight away, Entity could see the standard weapons of a Fallen armoury – wire rifles, shock-pistols, shock rifles and shrapnel launchers. Beyond that, he could make out the tell-tale shapes of Vex and Cabal weaponry too – slap rifles, torch hammers and even the odd Hive cleaver or two. There was no shortage of Guardian weapons either.

"If only Banshee could see this place." Erebus muttered in awe.

The armour was a similar story. There were the shapes of Fallen Captain and Vandal armour, as well as some Cabal armour and Vex Plating. There were some other pieces too that intrigued Entity even further than any of the others.

Whilst Perses and Erebus went their respective ways to search out their own rewards, Entity walked over to the rack of weapons and armour brackets that had caught his attention, the ones with the unfamiliar armour pieces and strange weapons.

His gaze wandered over the weapons first. Bulkier versions of Fallen shock-rifles and pistols littered the display, whilst some other larger Vex weapons had been modified to become smaller and more suited to fit Fallen hands. Entity hummed his intrigue of the weapons and proceeded to peruse the armour pieces.

If he was impressed by the weapons, he was blown away by the armour.

Vex plating and body armour had been re-shaped and moulded into Fallen-friendly pieces of protective covering. Cabal helmets had been dismantled and fused with other Fallen tech, the result looked marvellous.

Entity was so caught up in looking at the spectacular armoury that he didn't realise the presence of the Fallen behind him until he was lightly tapped on the shoulder. Spooked, he spun around, half-expecting to be met with a fight rather than a conversation. But he was glad that he found the latter.

The House of Shadows' Archon stood before him, chuckling slightly by the Exo's surprise and intrigue as to the contents of the nearby racks and displays. The Hunter brought out his Ghost to translate their speech.

"Ah, I see that you have discovered my creations!" The Archon said happily.

"Your _creations_?" Entity responded. The Archon shrugged and inspected the armour pieces himself.

"My inventions," he began, "I'm always tampering – _fiddling _\- looking for new and improved versions of our current technology and weaponry."

Entity nodded. The Archon didn't see him do so, as his gaze was fixated on his devices, glued to his wondrous constructions. Entity joined him, admiring the creations with hungry eyes. The Archon looked over to the Exo and strode over to some of the creations that had piqued Entity's interest a little earlier. He gestured at the Vex body-armour.

"This was created for use by some specially-trained Vandals. The idea was to create a fighting force that could take massive amounts of fire, and deal back ten-fold." The Archon said; his tone furtive and dramatic. "Sadly, these armour pieces never made it beyond their prototype stages. The technology required was too complicated for anything near mass-production."

He proceeded to gesture at the Fallen helmet that had been combined with Cabal technology.

"We made this piece in an attempt to extend the reach of our communication equipment. It would have enabled our House to go further distances and not lose contact with our Lair." The Archon seemed proud of this creation.

Entity could understand why, it was a simple but effective creation that could help the Shadows to expand their territory.

"This device is in circulation today, as many of our soldiers have been outfitted with these helmets." The Archon concluded.

Entity was impressed. Clearly this model in front of him must have been another prototype, as he hadn't seen any of the Fallen soldiers wearing anything like this before. It was far too clunky and top-heavy to be used by any trooper besides the Captain's themselves. The Archon must have found a way to minimise the appearance of the Cabal technology in such a way that made it almost invisible to the naked eye.

Just then, they heard a loud crash to their right. The source of the noise was obscured by the racks of weapons, so neither of the two could see what had made the loud sound. Erebus' voice soon followed the disturbance.

"Sorry! There was this amour piece that looked nice, but it was heavier than I thought and I may have… _dropped_ it." Erebus shouted, doing nothing to dispel the apprehension that Entity was feeling about damaging anything in the Kell's personal armoury.

The Exo rolled his optics and chuckled. As he turned back to look at the equipment and inventions, something caught his eye. Narrowing his eyes, the Exo strode over to the item, wanting to inspect it further.

A pair of wrist-guards greeted him. They were an identical pair, with slightly different curves able to be equipped to each fore-arm. They were made of leather with metal decorations and protection on their tops. The Archon approached as Entity picked one of the wrist-guards up.

"Ah. The pride of my collection. These weapons are the epitome of my assemblage." The Archon commented, regarding Entity's intrigued expression and the wrist-guards in turn.

Entity looked at the Archon with confusion written on his features.

"Weapons? What do you mean? These are armour pieces." Entity stated.

Taking the other wrist-guard in his own upper limbs, the Archon placed it on his arm. Entity watched with fascination.

"Not everything is what it seems. Look closer."

Entity narrowed his optics again, but this time concentrating on the single wrist-guard. The Archon flexed his hand so that it resembled a claw. His palm faced the floor, and his fingers were at a ninety-degree angle facing outwards.

_Snick!_

Almost instantaneously, a single blade slid out from the wrist-guards under-side. It shone in the ambient lighting of the room, the metal singing as it sprung forth from its sheath. When it became about fifteen centimetres long, it stopped and stayed in place, standing out from its concealed sheath.

Entity went wide-eyed in awe. The Archon laughed as he observed the Exo's enthralled face. His astonishment quickly turned to amazement, and he mounted his own wrist-blade onto his right fore-arm. Mimicking the Archons hand movement, a similar blade suddenly sprang forth from its concealed sheath on the under-side of the armour piece.

_Snick!_

Whilst Entity stared at the weapon in enraptured fascination, the Archon removed his own wrist-guard and strapped it to Entity's left fore-arm. The Exo nodded his thanks.

"What do you call them?" Entity asked, relaxing his hand and subsequently sending the blades back into their respective sheaths.

He gestured to the right blade.

"_Acmon_, Fallen for '_Time'."_

He gestured to the left, and Entity followed his gaze.

"_Erato_, Fallen for '_Inevitability'."_

Entity smirked at the menacing names that the Archon had given to the pair of weapons, thinking to himself about their purpose as deadly hidden-blades for their user.

"They are unique, one-of-a-kind. I invented them for use by our Stealth Vandals, but they were too complicated to make for mass production, so only two reached beyond their prototype stages - these ones. They're able to utilize the same technology that is used in the shock-sword." The Archon explained.

"Electricity…" Entity muttered as he continued to stare at the pair of blades that he was wearing. The Archon nodded and smiled humbly, glad to see someone with respect for technology, if not the reverence that he himself showed to the items that surrounded him.

"Take them," the Archon seemed to order, "Put them to good use, they will do naught in here but gather dust. A personal gift, from me to you."

Entity looked at the Archon, shocked… well, as shocked as an Exo can look at the sudden gift he extended to him. He relaxed him hand, allowing the blade he had been looking at to slide back into place. They would come in handy for hand-to-hand combat if he ever didn't have 'Last-Resort' on his person.

"So, do I still have to pick out an item from the Kell, or will these do?" Entity asked, genuinely wanting to know.

"Nonsense. My Kell's item still awaits you, if only you would seek it." The Archon said, and with that he turned and walked away, leaving Entity to peruse the contents of the armoury.

"Time and Inevitability…" Entity muttered quietly as he continued to search the contents of the armoury.

He was vaguely interested by some of the Fallen wire-rifles, as he was sub-consciously aware of Vixera's ability to best him at a sniping competition, but he quickly realised that the barrel was far too heavy and he couldn't bear the sensation of immense heat that radiated from the weapon whenever he pulled the trigger.

In the end, he settled on a cloak that bore the insignia of the House of Shadows. It was a grey colour that featured a black and white depiction of a wolf's head. He smiled, as he thought that it nicely embodied his fire-teams callsign, Fenrir, as it related to the Ancient Greek myth about a predatory canine immortal.

The trio gathered to the entrance of the armoury, each looking over each other's selection.

Perses was clutching a weapon that resembled a Fallen shotgun, typically known as a Shrapnel Launcher. But this weapon had attachments-galore. It was outfitted with a laser target-finder, a reflexive sight that activated when the users eye was brought up to it to aim, something that resembled a grenade launcher on it base and other things besides. When Entity asked him what he would call it, Perses replied with _'Face-breaker'._

Instead of throwing away or dismantling his old shotgun, Perses transferred it to his Vault. When asked why, he sombrely replied that it reminded him of his partnership with Ferrum, and their days together. Entity could understand this, and instead inspected Erebus' choice.

She had opted for a weapon that seemed to resemble a Hand-Cannon, but was slightly smaller and stockier. It bore a striking resemblance to Fallen weaponry, and Erebus explained that it was almost identical to a Dreg's shock-pistol, albeit much more powerful. It also had an assortment of upgrades, like a sight that allowed varying levels of zoom and a switch on the side that enabled other modes of fire, like three-round burst, fully-automatic and a shotgun feature in addition to the standard single-fire version that the weapon came with.

She attached the gun to her hip, and then both Guardians looked at Entity, silently asking what item he had picked out. In response, he span around, showing off his new cloak. Erebus smiled and felt the fabric, patting Entity's face as she did so. The Exo looked at her with kind eyes and she felt herself wanting to kiss him, but she wouldn't feel comfortable doing so in front of Perses. Instead, Entity placed his forehead against hers and they silently had a moment of resolution pass through them both.

Perses cleared his throat as he holstered his Face-breaker. Entity looked over at him and chuckled as he rubbed his neck, while Erebus went a deep shade of red.

"Don't worry about it, you guys. I don't mind it, just… do it somewhere else, okay?" Perses said, sounding like some kind of sexually awkward pre-teen as he said it, making the couple laugh.

After a few moments, their sniggers died down and they exited the armoury, to be greeted by the ever-patient image of Vixera. She took in a deep breath before speaking, as she had been standing out here for at least twenty minutes whilst waiting.

"If you are satisfied with your choices, my Kell has bid that you come with me." Vixera instructed, already preparing to close the bulk-head after the trio emerged.

"Very well, then. Where are we going?" Entity asked, Erebus and Perses a few steps behind him.

"The hangar," she announced, "I am to accompany you back to the Tower. My Kell has made me the ambassador for our House. As such, I have been promoted to Elder Captain."

"Congratulations." Erebus cut in. Vixera looked at her with a pleasant expression before returning to her previous announcement.

"I am to represent his interests and decisions to the human community, as well as demonstrate the might of our warriors on the battlefield. As such, he has given me the freedom to choose where I go now, to select my own path. He asks that I always come back if he summons me though, but for now - I am coming with you, my team." Vixera concluded, just as they reached the corridor that led to the hangar.

"Fair enough," Entity said as they entered the hangar, a wide open space that was occupied by multiple Skiff's and other flight vehicles that Entity did not recognise. Almost every one of them was being tinkered with by a Vandal or Dreg, either holding a blow-torch or another piece of machinery, trying to make repairs or any other improvements. "So why are we here?" Entity asked, slightly impatient.

Vixera held up her hand, indicating for the group to stop. Doing so, she carried on for a few more metres before abruptly stopping. She turned to face the group of Guardians.

"For this." Vixera told them, clicking her right fingers.

Almost immediately, a Guardian jump ship de-cloaked not three paces behind her. It was an LRv1 Javelin ship, but re-painted to display her House's colours and emblem. It had been altered slightly in aesthetic design to make it resemble Fallen technology, with spiky protrusions decorating its surface that may have helped with aero-dynamics. Even from where he stood, Entity could make out the low hum of its stealth-drive engines.

The perfect ship for an assassin like Vixera.

Entity walked over and admired it further. All of the dents and bangs had been re-shaped. Even the scratches were nearly invisible. He patted its surface, and its shields sent a small amount of electricity through his arm, make him jolt back. Not a bad defence system either.

"Well," Entity commented as he rubbed his electrocuted appendage. "Aside from the small problem with walking into it and getting shocked from time to time, I'd say that this perfectly bridges the gap between Guardian and Fallen. Very… _eccentric_…"

"I am glad you think so." Vixera replied. "If I am to become a Guardian, I shall need transportation, will I not?" She asked, laughing that guttural chuckle of hers as she did so.

"I guess. That and a few other things…" Perses trailed off. Thinking to himself about how you _technically_ needed a Ghost to resurrect you to become a Guardian. He didn't mention anything though, for fear of insulting his Fallen friend.

"If we're ready, I reckon now would be a good time to leave for the Tower." Erebus interjected. The others quickly set about arranging themselves. Vixera climbed into her new jump-ship, and the other three called their own ships to take them into orbit.

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Unbeknownst to the group of Guardians, a set of prying Fallen eyes watch them ascend into the clouds as they headed for the atmosphere. The eyes focused on the insignia on the ships as they made their ascension. He recognised the symbol, a wolf's head, as the signature mark of fire-team Fenrir, the group that had aided in the defence of the Shadows' Lair – and had subsequently gained notoriety among the other Houses in the area for many miles around.

Cackling slightly, the figure skulked back into the shadows, already heading for his scavenged Pike to go to the new Ketch crash-site in Old Russia, eager to find some scraps of interesting loot to take to a House for some Ether supplements. Maybe he'd find a warp-drive, or something else of significance, he pondered to himself as he climbed onto the Pike and set off in the direction of the place the Humans called 'Old Russia'. He always kept the books to himself though, as he tried to teach himself the Human's language. It was a precaution that would probably serve him well if he ever came into direct contact with a Guardian. His collection included some pre-Golden Age greats from before the Humans fall-from-grace, 'Hunger Games', 'To Kill a Mockingbird' and many others. He had once attempted to read a book named 'Twilight', but had almost immediately gotten weary of the pitiable love triangle between the central character that had the name of a bird, as well as the two fools vying for her attention.

His journey to the crash-site would be a considerable one, and he wouldn't get back until after the Sun had set. Therefore he decided that he would try to find some shelter in a cave when he got to his destination before setting off to find some loot.

Tekka exhaled noisily to himself; _it was a hard life for a Houseless Vandal._

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Sorric approached the Lair of the House of Knights to claim his reward for ending the life of the Cavalier Kell. He had received word that the Ketch had been destroyed before it could have been able to reach the Last City. This was an annoyance, as he had planned to get rid of the troublesome Guardians for good, and the destruction of the City would have been the fatal strike. But alas, they were nothing if not resourceful, and a single Guardian had managed to destroy the Ketch all by himself.

It was no matter. The time would come when he would be rid of those pesky Guardians for good, they would be snuffed out eventually, no-one could bare the strain against fighting the races of the Solar System forever. If it was not the Fallen that ended them, it would be the Hive. If it wasn't the Hive, it would be the Cabal. If it wasn't the Cabal, it would be the Vex.

It was only a matter of time.

Sorric put aside his musings as he entered the Knights Lair. The last time he had been here had been maybe a month ago. After all, they were the ones who had placed the Bounty on their former Archon. Now he was back to collect his payment – his 'blood money' as Vixera called it. He huffed. Vixera. She had been nothing but a thorn in his side since the day they had met. He cast his mind back.

It had been around five years ago, when Vixera had still been a member of the House of Devils. There had been a tournament that all the Houses in the area competed in. The grand prize was a year's supply of Ether – supplied by the combined efforts of all of each House's Prime Servitor.

Sorric had competed as his House's competitor, and the crowds had enjoyed in the revelry as he cut down another competitor – again and again and again. The event was known as the 'Fighting Pit'. Twenty Houses competed in total, Venom, Devils, Kings, Jewels, Years, Knights, Ash, Beggars – just to name a few. Each House put forward a single competitor to represent themselves. Every battle resulted in the death of a competitor, and Sorric won _every _single battle he'd ever competed in.

That was, until _she_ had faced him.

He hadn't thought much of her, small as she was. She hadn't been a Baroness back then, and she had only just achieved the rank of Captain, she had also been called up at the last minute, as their previous champion –_Tekka_ – had been banished for selling out information about his House for personal gain. This had also been a happy accident for Sorric, as Tekka had often treated him to vital intelligence whenever he did a hit on the Devils House, and so he didn't have any real need to kill him. So instead, he had faced Vixera Naa'kad – not only a mere Captain, but a _woman_, a female.

He had been easy on her, his first mistake.

She had been a whirlwind with her two shock-swords. Swiping left and right, she had been able to wound Sorric early on. Had he been fighting her with all his might from the start, he would've undoubtedly have won. But he hadn't, and as a result, she had been able to beat him. She had refused to take his life though - her reason being that she did not want to see the life of a good warrior end so soon. So she had been forced to forfeit her place in that year's Fighting Pit, and Sorric had gone on to win the tournament, but the embarrassment of being beaten by a woman had been noticed by many – including his Kell, who refused to promote him as a result. This had sparked his hate of the woman, and he had sworn that he would not hesitate to end her life once a Bounty next came up on the House of Devils, he would take her life – even if she wasn't the target, she would die.

But no bounty had been placed, and then, Vixera had been banished – exiled from her own House for not protecting the Kell's son. Subsequently, she had gone under Sorric's radar, and the next he heard of her, she had been recruited by the Shadow's and had learnt the ways of their House, subsequently becoming hard to track down and even harder to kill – seeing as she was protected by one of the greatest House's on the northern hemisphere.

So he had given up, but a time would come when he'd be able to _end_ her. Sooner or later, he'd finish her.

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Claiming his reward had been simple. The Baron, called Kilses, had given Sorric his payment generously. But the bounty-hunter had been surprised when he had asked Sorric to come with him, as the Kell wished to speak to him. Sorric had followed warily; he knew the Kell for the Knights was a temperamental Fallen – just as likely to reward you as he was to shoot you on the spot.

"A bounty," The Kell had said to Sorric. "On the Guardians calling themselves 'Fenrir'. One of their number destroyed _my_ Ketch. I will have my revenge – and so will you."

Sorric had been initially confused, but as the Kell continued he learnt that Vixera had actually _allied_ herself with these Guardians, along with the rest of her House. So to Sorric, this Bounty was his chance to eliminate the female who had caused him such embarrassment all those years ago. The reward for the Bounty was enormous, bigger than all of his other contracts combined, and that was saying something. He had accepted, promising results before the next cycle ended, or 'year' in Human terms. The Kell had initially been angered at such news, but he understood that Sorric would not do something like this so lightly, so he accepted, promising Sorric the majority of his payment would come from him ensuring that the Guardians would not resurrect, that they would _stay_ dead.

Sorric was already formulating ideas on how to exact his task, and his vengeance as he mounted Pike and rode away towards his House's Lair.

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"Well done, fire-team Fenrir, for ending the imminent threat that Ra'ghul and his schemes for ending the City posed. I know that this success came with the dreadful loss of one of your number," The Speaker looked at Perses, who looked at the floor in sorrow, "But take solace in the knowledge that this not only makes our City _stronger_, but it sends a clear message to those who would wish our City harm as well as cementing our alliance with the House of Shadows."

The Speaker brought out something from his robes, clasped in his right hand.

"Your reward, Guardians." The Speaker said, presenting the items from his right hand to each warrior before him.

Entity, Perses, Erebus and the cloaked form of Vixera all offered their gratitude to the enigmatic man before them as they received the items the Speaker had granted them. They were Exotic tokens, to be presented to Xur when he next arrived at the Tower. They all accepted the reward with gratitude, and left the Speaker to return to his work.

They all headed for their rooms, eager to have a break from the mission they had recently completed. No doubt Perses would take this time to mourn his friend's death, and Entity couldn't blame him, it was always difficult to lose a comrade – and from what he could gather he and Ferrum had been close, they had been brothers.

Entity saw this as the perfect time to nurture his relationship with Erebus a bit more. He didn't know how exactly, he'd never been in a relationship, but he knew he'd try his best to please her in whatever way he could.

As for Vixera, well, she'd probably try to speak to the Vanguard. Speaking with them should help to pave the way into introducing the Fallen and Guardian societies into one cohesive unit.

Entity smiled as he walked back to his room with his arm draped casually over Erebus' shoulders. A gesture that she seemed to enjoy and appreciate, if nothing else.

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Tekka arrived at the crater after finding some shelter for the night. It was late evening, so he reckoned he only had around an hour before he would have to retire for the night.

For the past few years, _this_ was how he had lived - scavenging off the scraps of others, desperately searching for anything of worth that he might be able to sell for some vital Ether supplements. He often cursed his luck, as much of the Ether that he received was used to immediately turn around and buy mechanical gears and cogs and other parts of machinery to keep his metal appendage in good condition. The piece of machine had been fused onto his body by his House many years ago, before he had 'betrayed' them, as they put it.

He had fought the Kell of the House of Shadows in single combat, only to be beaten rather easily by the far superior warrior, getting his upper-right arm ripped off in the process. He had been on his knees, clutching the bloodied stump where his arm had been, with the Kell's blade at his throat. But the Kell must have seen something in him, some spark of interest or curiosity that stayed his blade. He had been spared, but thrown into their prison. He had been guarded by a female Captain who had been sympathetic to his lost appendage, and soon enough he had had a crude replacement made from local spin-metal, crafted by their House's Archon – Thyluum, the Builder. He had been thankful, and he had made good friends with his female guard, or Vixera, as he came to know her.

The pair got along well, and she eventually managed to persuade her Kell to let him free, to return to his own House, so long as he swore to not tell them where the Shadows operated. He had accepted, and had returned to his House and had kept his promise. He was promoted to Stealth Vandal, and had his crude appendage replaced with a better one – the very same he had now. He had felt like he owed the House of Shadows something, and so he began to consort with its Archon, Thyluum about his own House, providing troop movements and other things that could prove useful if they ever decided to attack the Lair. The information meant that he would not be killed if they did attack, and he was in the process of sending his last message about his Lair's weaknesses when a Dreg had walked in on him, communicating into his transponder to an enemy of the House.

He had been exiled as a result, and he had been too afraid to join the Shadows. He believed that the Kell of their House would never let him join after their skirmish in which he lost his arm. So he had opted to occupy a derelict Golden Age hangar that the Shadows had already picked clean. The hangar was around half a kilometre from the Shadows' Lair, and so Tekka had a perfect vantage point to see everything, as the hangar was carved into a mountain.

When the recent battle between the Shadows and the Vigil had occurred, Tekka had considered in aiding the Shadows by joining their defence. Moments before he could make a final decision though, there had been an astonishingly large explosion, seemingly created by something that had fallen from the sky, and had decimated the Vigil forces. Tekka had wondered if this had been an action made by the Shadows, but Tekka had eliminated this possibility, as they seemed to be just as surprised as he was. Whatever it was, it made the Vigil forces into dust within mere moments.

Tekka mused over this as he scoured the crash-site. Debris was strewn all over the place in varying shapes and sizes. It was getting dark, and the dying light of the nearby star on the horizon offered his only source of illumination. The debris cast shadows all over the ground, some appeared to move, and Tekka felt a creeping feeling of dread inching up his spine, crawling along his entire body. He knew it was just his imagination and paranoia catching up to him, but he couldn't help but instinctively become more aware of his surroundings as his stance stiffened into a more cautious position. His eyes dilated to let in as much light as possible, allowing him to see more.

_That's what this sort of lifestyle will do to you if you let it_, Tekka told himself as he chastised his own idiocy. He kept his stance though, even as he tried to assure himself that it was nothing. Eventually, he pushed on, desperately searching the ground for anything he could take as his own. Eventually, he came across some loot that he could probably sell or keep as his own – a core processor, much like the ones that would occupy the mind of a Servitor or one of the machines that fought for the Traveller. What were they called…?

Tekka shook his head in annoyance, casting away the thought. He returned to his scouring of the ground, looking for any other pieces of loot he could either sell or use for his own purposes. After a few more minutes of looking around, he made out a faint glow on the ground, around the corner. It grew brighter the closer he crept to it. It was a blue, pulsating glow that seemed to resemble a heart-beat. The item it exuded from was around the corner, his view of the object obstructed by a piece of debris wedged into the ground.

_Might be worth something;_ Tekka thought to himself as he rounded the corner, eager to see what awaited him.

But any thoughts of selling whatever awaited were soon dashed as he looked upon the item with awe and wonder, his jaw dropping and his rifle slipping from his grip and onto the floor. He didn't feel it drop from his hands, as he could only focus on the object in front of him.

"_H-hello, there._" It said to him, snapping him out of his daze and scaring him stiff, _"It's so nice to h-h-have a v-visitor._"

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"Come on, Xander, you know I'm right! Cabal are way tougher." The Titan spoke as he and his Hunter friend descended the stairs, heading towards the Vanguard Hall, where a reward awaited them. They were bickering over the events of their latest mission with each other. Both were comfortable in the other's presence, as they had been team-mates and friends for more than four years.

"No, Direc, trust me on this one. Vex are the greater foe. Don't get me wrong, Cabal _are _tough- -"

"Thank you! Finally, you're making some sense!" Direc cut in, his Hunter friend gave him a patronising look, as if he was missing the obvious.

"_But_ they lack intelligence. Sure, they've got good fighting styles, but they can't _adapt_ to a situation. Combat is all about _adapting_ to your enemy, that's why the Vex pose much more of a threat. They are the ones that can adjust to pretty any combat scenario they're faced with." Xander concluded. Direc merely shrugged in a non-committal way.

"Whatever." He said. "Don't matter if they're Cabal _or _Vex, I'll make them dead either way." Direc growled as he punched a clenched fist into his open palm as he said it.

"Sure, whatever you say buddy." Xander chuckled as they approached the entrance to the Hall.

Deric was a Titan, and it showed. His armour was bulky and resilient, yet simple and unassuming. He wielded his weapons like no other when on the battle-field and never left the Tower without his Vestian Dynasty strapped safely to his thigh. He was a reef-born Awoken that had come to the Tower as a Guardian after he made contact with his Ghost. He and his fire-team mate Xander were inseparable, and the two of them often came to the Tower, searching for others to join their fire-team. He was great with his Auto-rifle and enjoyed the rush that fighting brought on, despite his role as a Defender class Titan.

Xander was a Hunter, he oriented for a more subtle and decisive approach than his Titan counter-part. As a Blade-dancer, he favoured the close-quarters conflict of fist-fighting. His shotgun was almost always strapped to his back, and he always had his throwing-knives and daggers at hand to deal a severe blow to any enemy that was stupid enough to get too close. As a champion of the Dead Orbit Tower faction, he wore a cloak to represent his division, as well as other armour pieces and weapons he had acquired from the Dead Orbit vendor, Arach Jalaal. He knew that he was difficult to get along with, his stoic personality and introversion often got in the way of making friends, let alone fire-team mates, but honestly, he didn't care, as he often left the talking and wise-cracking to his Titan accomplice. He had called his Shotgun by a name that he was rather fond of, as not only did it sound threatening and ominous, but it also made him laugh whenever he thought of it. It was called 'Kicked-in-the-Teeth'.

Their joking was soon put aside however, as Xander noticed a shimmering, close to where Vanguard Ikora stood – she seemed to notice it, but Xander was disturbed all the same. Wary of any danger, he took out his 'Kicked', gesturing for Direc to do the same with his own weapon. Together, the pair proceeded to stalk over to where the shimmering figure stood. Xander looked over to Direc and motioned for him to make a move. Accordingly, the Guardian charged at the figure, which pivoted just in time to see the Titan tackle them. Their cloaking device dissipated upon impact and Vixera was sent sprawling to the ground, giving the Titan an unmistakeable glare as she picked herself up and readied herself for a fight.

She did not, however, unsheathe her swords as she did not want to bring any more harm than necessary to the Guardian who had already probably damaged her cloaking-device. Her elbows went down and her fists came up in a guard as the Titan let out a jab at her. She countered before he could react and gave him a sharp right-hook from her lower set of arms. The hit impacted on his stomach, knocking the wind out of Direc and sent him doubling over, breathless. Vixera brought up her knee, which impacted onto his visor, shattering it. She pressed home her advantage and gave him a sweeping left-hook to his exposed temple, knocking him out cold.

Her victory was short-lived, as she did not anticipate the barrel of a shotgun to make contact with the back of her helmet. Its cold steel tapped her on the back of the head.

"On your _knees_." A voice commanded, clearly the user of the weapon. Vixera made a move to descend, tricking her unseen opponent into lowering his guard ever so slightly in anticipation of easy victory. But she quickly righted her stance and span on her foot, delivering a swipe that batted the barrel of the weapon away, disorienting the user and allowing her to grip the attacker in a strangle-hold with one of her upper-arms. The lower set caught the wildly thrown stabs of the knife that came up to her stomach in a last ditch attempt for victory. Vixera caught such attacks with her lower set of limbs. Too late, as she quickly thumpedher attacker's solar-plexus with her one remaining arm in order to wind him.

Her strike paid off, as she dropped the Guardian, he went straight to his knees in order to try and get some air back into his lungs. He raised his hands in submission and Vixera gave him a helping hand to allow him to get more oxygen into his air-starved lungs, righting his body position and helping him to stand up. He moved to anticipate her next attack, but when Vixera made no threatening moves towards him, he relaxed. He was confused for a few moments, and looked at the other Vanguards for some clarity or reason.

Ikora only glared at him, annoyed at the interruption. Xander hastily apologised and went back to his unconscious friend, checking for vital signs.

"My apologies, Ambassador." Ikora said to Vixera in her regal and eloquent way of speaking, who only waved away the apology.

"Do not worry, Vanguard. Such impromptu battles help to 'keep me on my toes', as you Humans say. Besides, they were not to know of my presence here as an Ambassador for my House, my existence is still widely unknown to the larger Guardian community. I am here in hopes of avoiding such occurrences." Vixera replied.

"Indeed. It is time we introduced you and your House to the collection of allies that is known to the public Guardian community." Ikora acknowledged, gesturing towards the injured pair of Guardians as she did so. "It should help to avoid circumstances like this in the future."

Vixera nodded her understanding and then approached the pair of Guardians. The Hunter seemed to be struggling to carry his injured friend and so Vixera lent a hand to help his fallen comrade to get to the med-bay faster than he would be able to do on his own. The Hunter in question looked apprehensively towards the Warlock Vanguard, who only gave a tight-lipped smile and nodded in a curt manner.

Vixera chuckled quietly at the hilarity of her current situation before picking up the Titan on the ground and heaving him over her shoulder.

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In his room, Entity and Erebus were lying on his bed, quietly staring at each other's faces. He was taking in every detail of her delicate features, her deep brown eyes seemed to hypnotise him into staring into them with curiosity and interest. Her soft nose and full lips complemented her dark brown hair with a hint of red running through it.

She was looking at the person she had fallen completely in love with, despite what others may believe. They may have thought that she was wasting her time with an Exo, for they had no emotion, not to mention the distinct lack of sexual apparatus for reproduction. But instead of the robot they all saw in him, she saw a gentle and caring soul who passions and yearns reflected her own. She felt at peace when she was around him. When she wasn't, she was thinking of him. She often dreamed of his metallic features and contrasting care and gentleness, his sharp gaze and those striking blue optics that seemed to haunt her every thought.

Erebus placed her forehead on his, and they shared a moment of intimacy. They stayed like that for a few moments, before Entity slowly pulled away and let out a long sigh. Worry creased Erebus' face and concern furrowed her brow.

"What is it? What's wrong?" She asked him tentatively. He gave her a long stare that made her spine tingle before replying.

"I've been thinking… about us." Entity said, sitting up on the bed. "I don't know if it's right that I hold you back like this."

At this, Erebus shot up and placed a hand on his shoulder, the coldness of his metal 'skin' making her flinch.

"What do you mean, Entity? Why would you think you're holding me back? From what?" She asked. He turned to face her, taking her hand in his.

"I can't love you, Erebus. Not in the normal way. The closest I can get is my core-processor flagging you as a friendly, as if we're always in a combat scenario. I just feel as if… you should be out _there_," Entity motioned his hand towards a window over-looking the City, "Out there, with someone who can love you _back_."

"Don't do this to yourself, Entity. I don't care what others may think of it, or what the social norm is. Things change, people will accept us eventually. Please stop worrying about this." Erebus began to sound upset, something that Entity didn't want. Instead, the Exo leant over and used his metal 'lips' to peck her gently on the cheek.

Erebus reddened and looked down, allowing Entity to place his chin on her shoulder. He closed his eyes and listened to the soft breathing of the human woman opposite him. A few moments passed this way before Entity heard a sharp drumming of knuckles on his door.

"Come in." He said to the knocker.

A moment later, the metal door slid open, and the image of a Perses and Vixera were seen entering the already cramped room. Vixera stood whilst Perses looked around to find a seat. When he had settled, both he and Vixera looked at Entity expectantly.

"What's wrong?" Entity asked, confused at their entrance. It was Vixera that spoke up.

"I was speaking with Perses, and I feel it would be best if I got the chance to go out on a mission or something of the sort with my new fire-team, to train and understand the strategies of my team in a more familiar way. Besides, there is something that requires our attention, an assassination mission on a high-ranking Cabal target, goes by the name of Edru'us. He is a Commander, and is quite high on your Vanguard's list of targets." She intoned in her surprisingly good English that never ceased to amaze Entity.

The Exo in question thought for a moment before nodding, slowly at first.

"All right, fine by me. So where are we going?" Entity asked Vixera and Perses. Now it was Perses' turn to speak.

"Well..." The Titan began awkwardly. He was already geared up for combat. He was tapping his foot impatiently. Its sound filling the small room they were in.

Entity glanced at Vixera, looking for answers.

"Mars, near the Hollows." She said with a smirk. Erebus' eyes went wide and a grin appeared on her face.

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Argus stared up at the bright sun, holding his left hand up to shield his eyes. His helmet's visor cancelled out most of the light and helped in filtering the gleams. He couldn't help it though, it just felt instinctive.

In his right hand, he held onto his weapon, his Pulse-Rifle gleamed in the afternoon light. He made a point out of keeping it in peak condition while he was on active duty, and often caught himself absent-mindedly cleaning it when he had nothing to do but sit and wait for his targets to enter his line of sight.

He was currently tracking the whereabouts of a local Cabal Commander, identified as a member of the Dust Giants clan. His name was Bracus Edru'us. And apparently, he didn't tolerate weakness. He often had an escort of at least two Colossi and a number of Phalanxes and Centurions flanking him, with at least a dozen legionnaires surrounding him at all times.

Fortunately, he knew just the team to eliminate him.

He'd been friends with Josh… no, _Perses_ – for years, before even Ferrum had known him. They had met in the Crucible and had instantly become friends. Being Titans, they had much in common. Their equal love for the destruction of their enemies the most so. They had been in a fire-team together with another Titan for a few years, but ever since a mission on Venus went wrong, they had grown apart. The mission had been one that required the attention of the three Titans, as much of it involved giving a Fallen House there what was coming to them. However, they had been ambushed at some point, and the third member of their team, Theta, had been killed in action. His Ghost had been lost, and the pair of surviving Titans returned to the Tower, more depressed than ever.

It had been around this time that the two of them had drifted apart. Josh, or Perses as he was now known, had coped by venting his frustrations in the Crucible, whilst Argus had been drawn to Mars. Ever since his resurrection on Phobos, one of Mars' moons, he had had an in-built hatred of the Cabal, and often went to Mars for weeks on end in order to rid the Universe of their existence.

He had found out at some point in his career with his old fire-team, Daemon, that he could actually _remember_ most of the events of his previous life. This had interested many of the Warlocks back at the Tower, but Argus didn't let anyone near him, let alone let them poke around in his brain. He had been classed as a 'one-off' case. A lucky Guardian who somehow remembered his past life due to some mysterious reason. Standing here now, in the beating heat of the Mars weather, he cast his mind back to his old life, before the Collapse.

He'd been a miner by trade, living on Phobos with his small family of three. He'd made a living out of descending into the depths of the moon, extracting the precious ore known as Timonium, an alien element native only to Phobos. It was that extra-terrestrial metal that allowed his family to continue to live on that Moon, and it paid the bills, as it apparently fetched quite a hefty price back on good, old Earth. Some of which made its way back to Phobos, not only to pay miners, but to also fund the project to extract more of it.

Then, the Collapse had happened. The Darkness had come, and with it, the Cabal had taken away everything he'd ever known. The first he'd heard of anything was an hour or so after the Cabal had over-run Deimos, Phobos' twin. Not long after, they had landed on his home, with nothing but domination in their minds. He had sprinted all the way home, to get his wife and child to join him, then they drove a nearby space-port for evacuation. But his journey to the nearest evacuation terminal had been interrupted by a Harvester, more commonly known as a Cabal troop-transport ship. It had fired at his car, making him crash into a building. When the dust had settled, he discovered he had been thrown out of the driver's seat and had been impaled onto a rebar that was sticking out of a wall. He screamed and screamed from the pain. Not only from the intense agony from being skewered in place, but also due to the grief at seeing the corpses of his beloved wife and daughter sitting firmly in their seats, their bodies becoming colder with each passing moment.

His screaming had caught the attention of a nearby Cabal patrol, who soon found his mutilated person still hanging off the rebar, screaming despite everything else. They had quickly put him out of his misery with a quick shot to the head, and moved on.

Next thing he knew, he was being squawked at by a small, floating object addressing him as 'Guardian'.

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Tekka was in open-mouthed awe at what he was seeing. Surely it was impossible.

In front of him, defying what should have been his death, was a Ghost, well… _most_ of a Ghost. Its shell was cracked and missing in parts, exposing in inner working. The pulsing light of a heart-beat was emanating from its eye. Tekka didn't need to be a Guardian to see that it was on its last legs.

"How are you still alive?" Tekka asked the hovering ball of Light and technology. Its voice was civilised, as it always seemed to be, but appeared to be broken and stuttering.

"A-absorbed my G-guardian's essence. I t-t-tried to escape with o-o-others, but couldn't get t-to them in time. Went i-i-into 'Siege-mode', and protected myself from the b-b-blast. A-as you can see, it w-w-wasn't enough." The Ghost sputtered, as Tekka approached it to get a closer look at the damage.

"Is there anything I can do to help? Maybe help you get back to your friends?" Tekka asked, wanting to help the injured being. He put out his metal hands, offering the Ghost to land there and not waste his life-force trying to hover. But the Ghost attempted to back away, whether through fear or mistrust, Tekka didn't know.

"M-m-must s-save my Guardian. I h-h-have to get back t-to the T-t-t-tower…" The Ghost was beginning to shut down. Tekka could see it struggling to keep hovering in place.

Suddenly, the Ghost switched off and dropped from the air and Tekka swept out to try and catch it with his organic upper-left hand. He succeeded, but as soon as the Ghost made contact with his palm, its shell began to heat up. Tekka tried letting go, but the Ghost wouldn't get off. Soon, the heat began to increase to the point that it was searing his flesh, causing terrible burns and bubbles of flesh to rise and burst, spreading the sensation all up his arm. Tekka was in outright agony. He fell to his knees, clutching his wrist of the burning hand so tight it hurt, but it was nothing compared to the pain he was experiencing from the Ghost. He screamed in pain as loud as he could in order to vent some of the discomfort as the searing sensation grew and the pain increased. Tekka could smell the horrid stench of cooking flesh as the Ghost continued to heat on his palm, burning patterns into what was left of his skin and then his muscle.

Then, the Ghost slipped off of his hand, a lifeless husk. It fell to the ground near Tekka's knee, but he didn't see it. The heat was still there and so was the pain. Blood was boiling on his hand and suddenly Tekka could bear it no longer, as he passed out from the experience and lost consciousness.

What Tekka didn't know was that the Ghost, or what was left of it, had managed to compile his Guardian into a single consciousness to transfer onto the next suitable vessel it made direct contact with. He hadn't planned that Tekka would be the one to absorb such cognizance and so hadn't realised that everything about his Guardian had been transferred into Tekka's mind.

The Ghost's last thought was one of sympathy, as he saw a Fallen Vandal with three normal arms and one mechanical arm writhing in pain as his shell bonded with its body. When Tekka woke up, he was going to have a splitting head-ache, as well as a smidge of insanity.

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Sorric sat in the cock-pit of the Fallen Skiff he had liberated from the hangar of the Cavalier Ketch, scanning through the multiple radio frequencies that could house the transmissions of his targets. He needed to know where they were, where they were planning to go or some other location that would lead him to them.

The static and mostly white noise was occasionally interrupted by the chatter of other Guardian fire-teams. If Sorric discovered one such channel he would stop and listen to it for a little while, examining their speech to decide whether they were his targets or not. So far, he had encountered four such channels in the past few hours, but neither had been what he had been searching for. Then, he found something.

"So where exactly are we going?" Enquired a young female voice, definitely Human.

"Mars, that's where our bounty is," Came the reply. It seemed to come from an Exo, as the monotonous response seemed to be quite typical in their kind, "We'll be coming into contact with the guy that found the HVT near the location, about five clicks out. He's a good guy, I've worked with him before, and you'll like him, trust me."

"If you say so, Perses. I should probably let you know that I'm not the easiest guy to get on with." Another robotic voice spoke up. For this, Sorric knew he was on the right track. There was a 'Perses' in the group of targets he was given. It could be a coincidence, so he listened out for more clues as well as where they'd be landing specifically. He knew what planet they were on, but not the region.

"Yeah, you don't need to tell us, Entity. We already know you're an arsehole." The Human female spoke again, gaining a laugh from all the other members of the fire-team. The name was confirmation now that he was definitely in tune to the correct fire-team. Now all he needed was the location. He thought he could make out the guttural laughing of a Fallen in there somewhere. He bridled at the thought of Vixera and snarled instinctively.

"Do you hear that?" One of the robotic voices said, "Sounds like growling, might be the engine. I'll ask Holliday to have a look at it once we get back to the Tower."

When Sorric heard this, he quickly stopped the instinctive snarling. He didn't want to give himself away, not when he was this close.

"Yeah, I could hear it too," said the Human woman, probably Erebus, if he recalled the information on this team correctly, "But it's gone now. Anyway, my on-board Director has finished calibrating the destination. You guys ready to go?" She asked in a cheery tone.

There were confirmations from the other members of the fire-team. It had to he now or never, as he'd lose the signal as soon as they went into slip-space.

_Come on, come on, come on._ Sorric thought aggressively, He needed that location!

"All right, let's go. Hollows, here we come." The Exo, Entity muttered, just loud enough for Sorric to hear before the frequency cut away into static and white noise. He smiled to himself ominously.

He put in the co-ordinates into his Skiff's navigation system before chuckling darkly as the vehicle turned and entered slip-space to go to his destination where he would begin his scheme. And he _would_ complete it, to the letter. They would die, by his hand, and then, when the dust had settled, he would have his _revenge…_

**Author's Note:**

**Hey guys. I'm so, so sorry that it took this long to get this chapter out, but something personal came up that I'd rather not talk about here. Since then, I felt a bit depressed and I wasn't able to get this chapter out as quick as I would have liked. Sorry, again.**

**Anyway, there were quite a few OC's that appeared in this chapter, so I'll just get those out of the way before saying anything else.**

**Tekka – Delta Death**

**Direc – **

**Xander – Jim-Joe-Bob**

**Argus – Razzack**

**I'd also like to thank a few people for supporting this story so far. Razzack, RC927, Erosion Has Started, JubJub025, Sad Stormtrooper, deltafrost, C.J. Robbins, Lazypersons and I think that's it. For everyone else who hasn't been in contact with me or has left a review, thank you so much for just reading this story, it means a lot to me. Most of all though, I'd like to thank YOU.**

**Yes, you, the one who's reading this right now. Thanks!**

**On a side note, I was thinking of starting another story based on an OC I submitted for [redacted]'s story that was rejected. It's got a Hive theme, but I'm not sure if that's what you guys want. PM with your opinions, and I'll give you the first chapter.**

**Thanks for reading, and as always;**

**Stand firm, Guardians!**


	14. XIV - Allies New and Old

A Soldier of the Light

Chapter 14 - Allies; New and Old

As soon as they touched down on the Martian soil for the first time, different feelings manifested through all of them regarding their new surroundings. Perses, who, to his credit, was rather open-minded, could only become excited for their current mission and the prospect of meeting up with one of his old team-mates from his first fireteam. Erebus crouched down and took off her glove, feeling exhilarated as she touched the red sands with delicate fingers – as if contacting the grains of sand too heavy-handedly may destroy her illusion of this wonderful new planet.

Vixera looked around in fascinated, obvious awe. Her four blue eyes gazing over the landscape, hungrily taking in every last detail of the planet that so few Eliksni had ever visited. She was the first in her House – perhaps even the first female Eliksni to ever set foot on this planet, she felt pride and excitement swell in her chest.

Entity only grumbled, complaining of the ceaseless amount of irritation he was soon going to feel when the sand eventually made its way into his circuitry. Out of sheer instinct and sharpened repetition of the routine, his optics darted over the dunes of the planet – as if anticipating an enemy to attack at any moment.

When he had eventually settled and concluded that no threats were nearby to cause them trouble, he visibly relaxed and gathered the others into a small huddle to discuss their next move. It still felt odd that these people depended on him as their leader, as the one to look to when times got tough. He doubted he'd ever get used to such responsibility – and losing someone close to them, like Ferrum, only made him feel like he had failed in that respect. That he had lost some of their confidence in him as a leader. He inwardly sighed and focused on the job at hand.

"So, here's the deal." He began. "Perses says that we're going to meet up with one of his old buddies, and after a quick meet-and-greet, we're going to bunker down at an ambush point and have a quick see-and-shoot with a high-value Cabal target. Is everyone clear?"

A unanimous 'yes' came as the reply. Entity quickly checked his HUD for the objective. Once he found it, he pointed in its general direction with an out-stretched palm.

"Our objective is three-and-a-half clicks in that direction, so let's get moving. We're burning daylight, people. Move out."

They commenced their slow trudge towards Perses' informant, Argus, and made much of the journey in stoic silence, contemplating what they were about to do.

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Tekka awoke with an enormous head-ache, his hand instinctively going to his forehead in a futile effort to lessen his pain. After a few moments of massaging his leathery skin, he attempted to open his eyes. It was startlingly bright, with the Sol's rays piercing into his sensitive eyes, making the pain in his head increase tenfold. He slammed them shut and attempted to open them again, much more slowly this time. After opening them substantially wide enough, he proceeded to take in his surroundings.

Destruction. Everywhere.

Initially, Tekka was confused, and shot up onto his feet, doing nothing but increase his pain. His hand began reaching for a weapon on his back that wasn't there. After grasping the air where his gun should have been occupying, he drew his fists into a guard, as if anticipating a surprise attack from an unseen threat. Though he knew that his arms would do little to block the shots of a wire-rifle or Shrapnel Launcher.

After concluding that there were no threats in his immediate vicinity, he turned his attention to the sky. By his reasoning of the nearby star's position in the sky, he concluded that it must have been about noon. His gaze shifted once again to focus on his surroundings, particularly the debris that encompassed him. Shards of a ship's hull were strewn about and sticking out of the soil like vicious flora. Smoke stacks rose from multiple places off in the distance, telling him the incident must have been recent. It was too much for his pounding brain to take in and he covered his eyes and looked to the ground, hoping that the blackness would return to engulf him to the land of painless slumber. When of course nothing happened, he removed his hand and looked at the spot on the ground in front of him.

The dead remains of a drained Ghost lay before him.

Suddenly, all of his memories came flooding back to him. The Ketch crashing. The journey he made to scavenge off its remains. The pulsing light he had seen. And the pain, oh, the pain. It had been excruciating and numbing at the same time. Complete agony had encompassed his body, originating from his upper-left hand. He quickly snatched the hand up to his face to examine it for damage. It was odd. It seemed completely untouched.

But that couldn't have been right. He could distinctly remember feeling the agonising burning, the blood boiling, the skin bubbling and melting off. But the hand seemed to defy all of this. It was totally unharmed. Except for one thing, one mark on his palm that had never been there before.

A tricorn. The sigil of the Traveller.

Tekka's eyes widened in shock.

**IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

After just under two and a half hours of slow marching, the group had finally reached their destination. They would have used their ships to travel there, but Cabal scouts would have spotted them from a distance and therefore ruined the mission. Vixera had offered to use her ship, as it had an efficient cloaking device, but the ship would not accompany all four of them at the same time. So they had walked.

When they finally met with Argus, they found him lying just behind the crest of a high sand-dune, overlooking what looked like the decadent ruins of a small city square. It had a handful of small pillars near it, and there was a dome nearby that may have once been an observatory back in the Golden Age, now it was just another derelict ruin to use as shelter from the variety of sandstorms that plagued this area of Mars.

Entity gestured for Erebus, Vixera and him to hang back around fifty paces from the unaware Guardian; for fear that he may shoot at Vixera, seeing that she was a Fallen. He allowed Perses to approach, but warned him to be wary. Surprising a Guardian was a good way to lose a few teeth, especially a Titan. Especially a Titan that was currently looking through a pair of binoculars at a distant object, and especially a Titan that had what seemed to be one of the biggest Rocket Launchers Entity had ever seen slung across his back.

Taking heed, Perses slowly crept up to Argus, who still had his back turned, and proceeded to crouch down next to him. When he was close enough, he leant down and slowly, ever so slowly, began to lie down next to him, almost rubbing shoulders with the much larger Titan. Of course, the other Titan had not seen his old team-mate creeping up on him, and so Perses lay down undetected.

Erebus only just managed to stifle her laughter, and Vixera let out a quiet, amused huff of amusement. Even Entity had to admit, this was going to be pretty damn funny.

**IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

Argus was lying just behind the crest of a large sand dune, and was looking through his custom-zoom high-definition binocular lenses at a distant building. A building that his target, Bracus Edru'us, was scheduled to pass by later today. He was just about to put down his binoculars when someone whispered into his ear.

"What're you doing, Argus?"

This scared the shit out of him and he proceeded to flip onto his back and send the whisperer a strong punch to the face. His blow connected, and he heard the crack of a visor splintering into little pieces. He then heard muffled groans of complaint as Perses replaced his broken helm with another he had in his Vault.

"Asshole." Perses muttered, as two others approached, followed by a Fallen creature, all laughing.

Argus' eyes widened as he looked at the Fallen Captain behind and raised his Auto Rifle to fire, but the Hunter bearing a Sniper Rifle was faster, who had the weapon's barrel touching Argus' own visor within a moment.

"She's a friendly, okay?" Argus heard an Exo angrily say to him.

He slowly turned his Auto Rifle away from the Fallen and placed it on the sand next to him. He proceeded to stand up as the Hunter put away his own weapon. Argus picked up his rifle and quickly dusted it off before he slung it over his shoulder. He could feel the glare coming from under the Hunter's helmet as he addressed him.

"Argus, I presume?" The Hunter muttered loudly. Anger still evident in his electronic voice. The Titan only chuckled as he brushed off this underlying tone of contempt. An Exo, he should have known, they were volatile creatures.

"And you must be Entity. Good to finally meet you." He stuck out his hand.

The Hunter's hand also took his into a firm grip and proceeded to shake it – slowly, but purposefully. He could tell that this individual clearly had no love for him. Argus depolarized his visor and looked at the Hunter, who said nothing but gestured towards a female Warlock and the apparent 'friendly' Fallen female Captain in a way that was equally as purposeful as the hand-shake.

Argus strode over to the two females, and the Warlock also depolarised her visor, revealing the beauty of a young woman that gave him a dazzling smile that he almost became smitten with instantly. He thought to himself that whichever guy got to call her theirs was a lucky guy indeed. He shook her hand also, and flashed an equally dazzling smile. She smiled warmly at him and then looked over his shoulder at the Exo Hunter, who only shrugged. Then the penny dropped for Argus, who suddenly realised that these two must have been close, if not a item. He went over to Vixera, who was already offering her lower right arm. Argus was bemused for a short time, before regaining his composure and shaking it in turn. She gave a satisfied huff before stepping towards Entity and then crouched next him, who was looking out over the small town square with the pillars already. Something told Argus that this Hunter already knew what Argus' plan was to eliminate the Cabal Commander.

And if that was the case, then knew that this Hunter, no matter how much of an asshole he was, was going places.

**IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

"So, here's the plan," Argus began, talking in a loud speaking voice to address each of the warriors present, "Vixera and Entity, you two are going to the top of that domed structure over there." He said, gesturing to a distant building. "It should give you a good sniping angle on the column of Cabal. I want you to focus fire on Centurions and Legionnaires. If you take those out fast enough, you can go weapons-free; just remember your primary targets. If we knock out those Centurions, it should cause chaos in their structure and sew disorder in the ranks."

"Understood." Vixera said in harsh-sounding English. Entity only nodded, and together they made off at a run towards the dome, but not before the Exo had a moment to speak to the female Warlock, undoubtedly offering words of encouragement and expecting promises of her safety in return. He turned next to Perses, who looked at him expectantly. Memories of giving orders like this when he was back in Fireteam Daemon came flooding back to him, causing a fountain of emotion to well up that he managed to force down out of sheer willpower.

"Perses, you're gonna be leading the charge with me, targeting the Phalanxes and such. They'll undoubtedly be protecting the HVT. If we knock those out, he's defenceless, and then we can really lay the hurt on him." Argus ordered.

Perses would have smiled broadly if he were still human, but he instead settled for a nod.

"It'll be just like old times." He commented before he came over and stood next to him.

_Not without Theta…_ Argus thought solemnly as he turned to face Erebus, who as alone now, as Entity had proceeded to catch up to Vixera on top of the dome.

"Last, but certainly not least, Erebus, you'll be on medic duty. If one of us gets injured, you'll be the one to come to our aid. If we fall, it'll be your job to give our Ghost's enough Light to resurrect us."

Erebus swallowed anxiously.

"Okay, I'll try my best." She said nervously.

"That's all I'm asking for." Argus reassured her, before polarising his visor. She also polarised her own visor and headed towards the cover of the sand-dune that they had met on. It allowed her a clear view of the two Titans, so she could easily tell whether they were injured or not.

Argus looked at Perses, who looked back with a stern expression. But Argus supposed that he couldn't help looking like that if he was an Exo. The Titan in question then polarised his visor, before nodding and proceeding to head towards the square, where they would hide behind two of the pillars, out of sight of any of the soon-to-be-passing Cabal.

**IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

Entity and Vixera waited patiently as they looked through their scopes towards the direction that a column of Cabal was scheduled to pass through in under a minute. The Exo had triple-checked that his sniper was in peak condition, as he knew that a jammed round in a clogged chamber could prove fatal to any one of his current allies.

It was not long after this, that he heard a faint roll of thunder approach their position. He gazed up into the sky, only to see a red-tinted atmosphere that gave a tell-tale sign of an impending sandstorm, but not much else. He cast a confused look at Vixera, but got no response. She seemed too preoccupied looking toward the building the Cabal were scheduled to pass near any second now.

"Contact." She said in a low voice. Entity immediately cast his gaze back through his scope, aiming towards the buildings corner. Sure enough, he could already make out the shapes of multiple Cabal troops, their rhythmic marching matching the sounds of thunder that resounded around the valley.

They must be the source, Entity thought, as he lined up a shot to the nearest Centurions head. He took note of wind speed and his angle, as well as bullet-spin and trajectory. All of these were calculated in an instant thanks to his inner systems and processors. He briefly mused and inwardly complained about how Vixera didn't need to worry about hardly any of those variables, as her 'bullet' was actually a high-pressure beam of plasma that travelled so fast, it could pretty much fire straight to her target instantly, whereas his bullets would have a slight delay.

"Argus, we have visual contact with the column. Permission to engage?" Entity reported over the channel.

"Denied." Argus replied. "Wait for my go."

Entity hummed his disapproval, but saw sense in Argus' logic. Attacking too early would allow the HVT to retreat, and this whole operation would have been for nothing.

Soon after, Entity's hyper-sensitive electronic receptors in his 'ears' picked up the low humming of an anti-grav engine. He narrowed his eyes in momentary confusion, but soon recognised the misshapen hump of a Goliath Tank rounding the corner just behind the rows of emerging Phalanxes.

"Shit." Entity cursed under his breath, eliciting an agreeing huff from Vixera. "Argus, I have visual confirmation of a Goliath Tank supporting the column of Cabal. Copy?"

Argus echoed Entity's initial response before replying.

"My intel indicated something about heavy support, but I didn't think they'd actually bring a goddamn tank with them!" There was a moment of quiet. "We continue with the plan, stick to your targets. The tank might be heavily armoured, but if we can knockout its main cannon, it shouldn't be too much trouble whilst we eliminate the infantry support."

"Copy that." Entity muttered, aiming his sights towards the tank's cannon. _If I could just get one good hit._ "I have the tank in my crosshairs. I can eliminate the threat temporarily by destroying its main battery feed, cutting off its supply of ammunition for a brief time."

"Understood. When I say, take the shot. Wait for my go." Argus ordered. Entity bristled with annoyance and anticipation. "Headcount, are all of you in position?"

"Fenrir-1, in position." Entity muttered.

"Fenrir-2, in position." Erebus echoed.

"Fenrir-5, waiting for the shot." Vixera growled, clearly agitated that she hadn't killed something yet when her prey was so tantalisingly close.

"Daemon-1, ready." Argus commented.

There was a moment's hesitation before Perses said anything; he was clearly indecisive about which callsign he should report as.

"Fenrir-4, ready." He spoke in a low tone, clearly missing his old callsign, as well as the absence of his blood-brother, Ferrum, Fenrir-3.

"Fenrir-1 and 5, be ready to open fire on my go." Argus spoke up.

Entity placed his finger on the trigger, his crosshair aimed at the Goliath's main battery.

"Hold…" Argus spoke.

The column of Cabal proceeded to march on.

"Hold…"

Out in the open.

"Hold…"

With no hope of retreat.

"Fire."

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Legionary Muala Jok was obediently following orders, acting as one of the front-runners of his squad, grumbling about the sweltering heat of the red planet they had beach-headed for their occupation of the globe. Complaining about the stale taste of the breathable gas that his helmet fed to him, he turned to his comrade on his right flank, Caylon Brik, and spoke something in their grunting gargled language of snorts and growls and gurgles.

"Brik, how much longer will it take to reach the Rubicon Outpost? My underweave is beginning to itch." Jok impatiently asked. Their Commander, Edru'us, had pushed his battalion to the brink of mutiny with his harsh march schedule. They would walk for hours upon hours, sometimes all the way from dawn until dusk, and they would continue well into the night. They would only sleep in short bursts, before being ordered to pick up their equipment and move on.

"Not much longer. It should only be a few leagues away from our current position, through that tunnel, over there." Brik said as he gestured towards a tunnel that, to Jok, still seemed far away. "Besides, you shouldn't complain so much. You know how the Commander punishes insubordination."

Jok's blood ran cold and a shiver worked its way up his spine. A few nights ago, the upset at the harsh marching had come to a head, and a number of Legionnaires and Phalanxes had roused themselves to go to the Commander, complaining of the cruel treatment he gave them.

Their punishment had been severe. The Commander, who was the size of a Colossus, but had the reflexes and intelligence of a Psion, had exited his Goliath Tank and ordered other Legionnaires, loyal to him, to remove the mutineer's masks. There had been a scuffle, but eventually Edru'us' troops had subdued the 'insubordinates' and had removed their helmets and breathing equipment.

Their suffocation to the Martian atmosphere had been a long one, and the Commander had ordered all of them to watch as their comrades died, grasping their throats in a futile effort to keep some air in their lungs, or else suffer the same fate.

Jok had not approved of this action, as these Cabal were not mutineers. They were not 'insubordinates'. They were _exhausted_ – desperate for rest for more than three or four hours. The Commander had had no need for rest, as he almost always occupied the inside of the Goliath Tank.

Jok was about to reply to Brik about how he was not saying anything deserving of being called 'insubordination', when his friend's head was blown off of his shoulders by a superheated beam of plasma. The shot was quickly followed by a bullet that incapacitated the feed of ammunition leading into the tank's rear-mounted cannon.

Then all hell broke loose. But Jok didn't live to see it, as his own head was decapitated by another beam of super-heated plasma in the next moment.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

"Main battery is down. Assuming primary targets. Fenrir-4, Daemon-1, begin your assault, you're good to go. I repeat, begin your assault." Entity's voice crackled through Perses' intercom.

His report was clear, and without a second thought, the Titan leapt over the pillar he was taking cover behind and unleashed a Fist of Havoc onto a section of Phalanxes below him. In the next moment, he unslung 'Face-Breaker', and began gunning down as many Cabal that were stupid enough to get in his way. His newly-acquired on-board systems as an Exo kept flagging his next target, showing him what to kill next.

Instants later, Argus joined him in mowing down their adversaries - his own auto-rifle spitting lead at his opponents at an exceedingly high rate of fire. His aim, however, seemed to be unaffected by this, as his shots were almost always successfully making contact with Cabal skulls.

This was when the Cabal finally reacted.

"On your right!" Argus called out.

Perses rolled left without a second thought. His trusted his old friend implicitly. After recovering from his impromptu roll, he tossed a flashbang towards his attacker, whose punch had left sand kicked up and floating around him for a moment before falling back to the ground. The flashbang exploded, letting off a blinding flash and a loud boom, leaving a residual ringing in the ears of anything around it.

The Centurion that had struck out at Perses received the full effect of the grenade, and doubled over, clutching its presumably ruptured ears in obvious pain. It was put out of its misery not a moment later, as Perses fired a single shell from 'Face-Breaker' that went straight through its skull.

_If Exo's could smile…_

The thought went through Perses in a fleeting moment before he turned back to the fight.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Entity had been letting off shot after shot at any Legionary he could see, reloading with quick, practised movements before aiming down his sights to look for more targets. He attempted to conserve ammunition by primarily aiming at available headshots on his targets, but seeing as he didn't have a plasma-fuelled auto-reloading sniper like Vixera did, he soon ran out of ammunition.

From his vantage point, he could tell that this battle was beginning to turn their way, but a handful of tactical manoeuvres from the Cabal would soon change that. He just hoped that the disarray they had inflicted with their ambush would last long enough to decisively win the battle.

But of course it was never _that_ simple…

While the Goliath's automated reparation system attempted to restore the damage from Entity' first shot, the Exo in question had been monitoring a small number of Legionaries and Phalanxes that had retreated to the somewhat cover of a dome-shaped building. The very same dome-shaped building that he and Vixera had decided to roost on top of whilst the ground warfare raged on.

A plan began to formulate in Entity's head as he looked down into the inside of the dome through one of the many tears in its ceiling. He spotted a Centurion amongst the eight or so Cabal soldiers that hastily began fortifying the door they had entered through. He seemed to be separate from the rest, with a hand raised to where his ear might have been, if he had been a humanoid like the Exo's or Awoken. Perhaps he was calling for reinforcements from the nearby Rubicon Firebase? Well, Entity couldn't have that now could he?

Turning quickly to Vixera, he hastily explained what he was about to do. She nodded her understanding and went back to shooting.

Entity focused on the Centurion, then glanced at his wrists, where his newly acquired blades resided in their guards. He ejected them a couple of times to practice the manoeuvre. Both _Acmon_ and _Erato_ flicked out without delay on his command. Satisfied with their responses to his movements, he unslung his sniper from his back and tossed it next to where Vixera was lying, he did the same with his Scout Rifle. However, his Hand Cannon - 'Arbiter' - remained on the small of his back, and his throwing knife that also served the secondary purpose of a machete - 'Last Resort' - hung from his belt where it always did. HE quickly took out 'Arbiter' and checked its ammunition count by ejecting the extractor and checking each individual cylinder. When he was satisfied with the firearms condition, he flicked the roller back into place and placed back into its holster.

He looked towards the Centurion about thirty feet below him, sized up how far he'd need to jump to achieve the correct angle. He loosened his motor receptor drives in his neck by rolling his head to the right, rewarding him with a satisfying series of small crack sounds as each gear and flywheel loosened and snapped back into place. Then, without a second thought, Entity leapt, springing the blades from their sheath's with an almost inaudible _'snick'_.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

For the most part, Erebus had had quite an easy ride on this mission so far. She hadn't been shot at once. She of course didn't mind risking her life to be shot at by numerous slug rifles the Cabal seemed to constantly wield, but seeing the two Titans fighting in the middle of a clearing about fifty metres away from her made her jealous. She_ wanted _to fight, she realised. But at the same time, she felt the ever-present urge to run away and just hide in a corner until it was all over. Erebus knew that she would never give in to this impulse. She was a Guardian. A Protector of the last safe city on Earth. A Soldier of the Light. She'd give her life if need be, but that didn't necessarily mean that she _wanted_ to.

She wasn't afraid of death, but she didn't have any particular wishes to die just yet.

The only problem was that she felt the urge - _the need_ \- to go out and fight. She craved that she could see some serious action today.

Later, when this was all over, she would scorn herself to be careful what she wished for.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

_Acmon_ slid easily through the soft rubbery mesh of the Centurion's underweave, and then straight through the leathery material that could be called its skin. The blade lodged itself deep within the Cabal's jugular, and when Entity ripped the edge across the throat of the doomed Cabal, a fountain of blood and gore erupted from the deep gash. The wound violently spat a black fluid that Entity could only assume was its lifeblood. Its hands went to the wound in a futile effort to keep itself alive.

To no avail, as the dying creature soon succumbed to the fatal wound, lying face down on the sandy ground it had been marching on not ten minutes before. None of his allies had seen the violent act happen, and so Entity crouched next to his first victim, undetected by the other Cabal. He stalked over to a Legionary that had failed to notice him, and dispatched the inattentive Cabal by sliding _Acmon_ through his underweave between his helmet and body armour, straight into its upper vertebrae. He quickly severed the spinal cord, a moment before his second victim had the opportunity to realise what was going on and fight back. The Legionary went limp and fell onto its side, still alive, but probably in agonising pain. It would be unable to move, as Entity had sliced through the motor neurone that its brain would need to send the signal for certain parts of its body to make an effort to move. It was helpless to do anything but watch as Entity continued on his crusade to kill the other six Cabal in the room.

Sheathing his wrist-blades, Entity drew 'Last Resort' out of its scabbard. He spun it a few times in his hand before sprinting at yet another Legionary and embedding his blade into the front of the Cabals neck with a wet _thunk!_ Much like what had happened with his first victim, the Centurion, as the Exo removed his cutting edge, a cascade of gore spew out of the cavernous laceration he had made with his weapon. The Legionary sank to his knees as his eyes glazed over.

This kill had not gone unnoticed, as the five remaining Cabal turned to face the Hunter, who stood over the corpse of their comrade like some poacher about to harvest their prey.

There was a moment of stunned silence before the Phalanxes raised and banged their shields, and the Legionaries shouted a war cry. It was a moment that these Cabal foolishly wasted in an attempt to intimidate an opponent who was already smeared with the blood of three of their number.

Entity unslung _Arbiter_ from its holster and pulled back the hammer and aimed down the muzzle, firing five consecutive shots in quick succession, followed by the deaths of all but one of the Cabal, who had moved slightly to the left, and so the bullet had impacted its right shoulder, wounding but not killing the stubborn Legionary. In frustration, the Hunter sprinted at the injured Cabal, and wasted no time in throwing _Last Resort_ at the Legionary. The blade impaled in its chest, the Legionary letting out an agonised rasp as the weapon undoubtedly punctured a lung or some other vital organ.

Shouting, Entity jumped and ejected _Erato_ from its sheath in his wrist guard. The blade sunk deep into the Cabals throat, and Entity lowered the Cabal onto the ground slowly, so as not to cause unnecessary pain to the wounded humanoid. The Legionary's wheezes soon became death rattles, and the soldier breathed his last breath in honour of its Emperor.

"Rest now, your loyalty is rewarded with the respite of peaceful demise." Entity spoke softly to the Legionary, who was dead long before the Exo finished his verdict.

Entity removed _Last Resort_ from the chest plate of the dead Cabal, moments before the panicked voice of Erebus hailed him from his radio located on the shoulder area of his cape.

"Entity, hurry! I need you! Perses has been hurt, and the Goliath is back online! You need to get out here – now!" She screamed. The Exo in question was sprinting for the exit towards the sounds of battle before she finished her sentence.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Erebus blindly fired another clip from her newly-acquired sidearm into the dust-storm that encompassed her. She had no idea where the majority of her team was, as the sandstorm had rendered her HUD near useless. Her radar flickered and glitched, her Ghost unable to get a fix on her location.

She heard the whistling winds of the gale all around her, it kicked up sand that would have shredded her to pieces if she wasn't wearing her armour. She was currently crouched over the injured and crippled form of Perses, who groaned in pain. A Phalanx had been able to get a lucky shot that punctured a chink in the Titan's armour. The micro-rocket that the Cabal used for ammunition had damaged several of his mainframe neuro-relays, causing the Exo large amounts of pain, as well as difficulty to move.

The situation had only gotten worse due to the sandstorm starting up. The whipping winds had forced some sand particulates into the inner workings of his spinwheel matrix, making almost any kind of movement for the Exo damn near impossible.

She just hoped that Entity would be able to find them in this desert storm, before the Cabal did.

It would have to be soon.

A thunderous banging of Phalanx shields boomed somewhere to her left, not long after, she could make out the sounds of marching towards her position.

It would have to be _very_ soon.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Vixera landed in a large pile of sand with a heavy thud. She had been forced to jump from her roost up at the top of the dome-shaped building and onto the hazardous terrain below due to the sandstorm that blocked from seeing more than five feet in front of her. The sand had severely damaged her armour, and any skin that was open to the Martian environment felt as if were being stung by hundreds of tiny shards of glass. She snarled in frustration and irritation at the constant pain she felt across most of her body, but she attempted to block out the pain by focusing on finding her squad. She knew Entity was nearby, as he had told her that he would be attacking some Cabal in the building they had been sniping from.

So instead, she looked for the Titan and the Warlock. She did not know where they were, but she had no doubts that the pair were alive and fighting. They were a hardy pair of Guardians, no doubt about it, but they wouldn't stand a chance alone against the remaining troopers of the column of Cabal. The Goliath Tank was still operational and was somewhere nearby, and presented a significant threat against them all. They needed to find it, disable it and destroy it – and they needed to do it soon.

That was when she heard it, the low humming of a Guardian's Sparrow. The purring of its relatively small anti-grav engine suddenly ceased next to her. Presuming it was one of her squad mates, she turned to the source of the noise. A Hunter disembarked from the vehicle, and strode over to her. Vixera raised her hand in greeting, along with a spoken announcement of who she presumed it to be, Entity.

But the Hunter suddenly drew his weapon on her, the muzzle of his Scout Rifle mere inches from her face.

"Who the fuck are you, and what are you doing in my territory?" A human voice spoke in a gravelly and not too friendly tone.

His question was answered by the friendly tapping of Entity's Hand Cannon on the back of his helmet.

"Leave her alone, she a friendly." He stated in a commanding tone. The Hunter replied by upturning his own weapon towards the hand, his other hand raised in a non-threatening manner, as if surrendering. "Now, if we're able to be civil people again - who are you?" Entity continued, after lowering his own weapon.

The Hunter turned to face Entity, regarding him with an annoyed look, hidden only by his helmet.

"I asked first." The Hunter replied. Entity squinted his optics, as if doing so would reveal the man's intentions.

"Entity. This is Vixera. We're here on deployment from the Tower to eliminate a high-value Cabal target. Not that it's any of your business, mind you. Now, answer my questions, or we might have a problem, and my Fallen friend over here isn't someone you want to piss off."

As if to support his claim, Vixera let out a low growl that was heard, even over the constant whistling of the sandstorm that raged around them.

"The name's Lancer. And trust me, it's _definitely_ my business when it comes to killing Cabal. Especially this one. I've been tracking him, following his movements until I could eliminate him easily enough." Lancer replied.

Entity remained stoic, not trusting this new comer.

"Listen, before you guys came along and messed my whole thing up, I had a pretty good plan to wipe this asshole of the face of the planet." Lancer continued, jerking a thumb to his right, in the general direction of the tunnels bridging the gap between the Hollows and the Scablands." Lancer complained, but Entity was already figuring out his plan.

"So you want to… what – crush the Goliath with tonnes of rubble?" Entity questioned, a cynical eyebrow raised in interest. Lancer pointed a finger at him, a smile in his voice.

"Exactly! If we could just lure him in there, throw some rockets and maybe a few trip-mines into the mix, and poof!" Lancer made an explosion motion with his hands. "No more Edru'us."

Entity had to admit, the guy was onto something, but it was just a question of baiting the Cabal commander into the underpass. Easier said than done, more than likely. Entity put a hand to his chin in thought.

"Okay, I'm in. But how do we get him into the tunnel?"

"I'm sure you'll figure something out." Lancer said as he made his way back onto his Sparrow. "I'll go set up some trip mines and rig some charges into weak points of the tunnel. Gimme… let's see, five minutes, and then get Edru'us into the tunnel. I don't care how you get him there, but you need to be well clear when that thing blows." Lancer commented cockily. "Unless you want to end up as a Guardian pancake…" He added before whooshing away on his Sparrow, presumably towards the tunnels.

Entity looked to Vixera.

"Find the others, get them clear. I'll distract the tank so you can make you escape, radio me when you're at minimum safe distance and I'll make sure that Goliath is turned into paste. Got that?" Entity ordered. A strength in his voice that gave him an authoritative emphasis.

"What about you, how will you escape?" Vixera asked, worried. Entity smiled beneath his helmet.

"Leave that to me, right now, you need to get Erebus, Perses and Argus away from here. Go." Entity commanded once again. When she didn't move, he almost shouted. "Go!"

She took a hint and ran back into the sandstorm to try and locate her fellow squad mates.

Entity watched her until she was engulfed by the sandstorm so that he could not see her anymore. Then, he counted in his head to sixty, then hopped onto his Sparrow and went in search of the Goliath Tank.

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The Cabal had him outnumbered, outgunned and surrounded.

Argus looked around in equal measures of anger and worry as the Cabal approached him, brandishing slug rifles and other beefy-looking weapons. They grunted and gargled orders at the Titan, presumably for him to stand down by the wishes of their Emperor or some other bullshit. Argus' Ghost, who he has nicknamed Dodge, materialised behind him, out of sight of the large soldiers that were in front of him.

"It seems that they want you to hand over all of your weapons, and be ready to face their Emperor's justice." Dodge told him. Argus smiled beneath his helmet.

"Sure thing." He spoke, cockily. He threw his rifle at the Cabal, so that it landed on the ground halfway between him and them. Next, he unslung his Rocket Launcher, 'Happy Boomer', and threw it so that was next to his discarded rifle.

"I guess they'll want my grenades too." He smirked as he took out a pair of unarmed Lightning grenades and tossed those on the pile too. When he didn't seem to do anything for a few seconds, one of the Legionaries grunted an order and a Cabal moved forward to claim the thrown firearms.

"Dodge, I want you to transmat my guns, but leave the grenades where they are. When you've done that, dematerialise, you don't want to get hurt." Argus whispered to his Ghost, who still hovered behind him.

Moments later, the weapons disappeared and so did Dodge. The Cabal that had stridden forward to collect them exclaimed his confusion and shot an accusing glance at Argus. The Titan shrugged as if playing dumb. The Cabal that seemed to be in command grunted his anger at Argus and probably swore a few times.

That's when Argus made his move.

Before the Cabal could react, his right fist charged itself with his inner lightning, and he jumped twenty feet into the air. He activated his Fist of Havoc and threw it down onto the red sands, but not onto the Cabal. Instead, his fist impacted onto one of the two Lightning grenades and it exploded in a large ball of electricity that was super-charged by Argus' Light and disintegrated everything around him, the confused and enraptured Cabal included.

After the dust settled, Argus stood up and called Dodge back into his hand to reclaim his weapons. Once his rifle was back in his grip, he began to walk to where he had been separated from Perses and Erebus when the Cabal had cornered him.

"We should do this again sometime." Argus said, conceited.

Suddenly, somewhere nearby, Argus heard the sounds of gunfire being exchanged somewhere off to his right. Cracking his neck, Argus gripped his rifle tighter and ran in the direction of the shooting.

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Vixera eventually found a desperate and terrified Erebus in the midst of a Cabal attack. Multiple slug rifles were firing their deadly micro-rockets directly at the female Warlock and the Exo Titan she was crouching over. The Eliksni had no idea how, but Erebus had seemed to be able to concentrate her Sunsinger abilities into a protective shield that surrounded the pair of them. Every time a projectile hit the shield, it flared and sparked with solar light. Her 'magic' seemed to take a toll on her though. Vixera could see her limbs shaking with exhaustion, her faced screwed up into an expression of agony and fatigue. It looked as though every hit the Cabal inflicted upon her ward seemed to drain her more and more. The Warlock looked ready to collapse into a heap and let the sweet release of death claim her, but Vixera knew she was stronger than that.

Her knowledge of Erebus' resolve didn't stop the Fallen warrior from rushing at the Cabal though. Vixera drew her Wire Rifle and shooting down a few of the Cabal, drawing their attention to her. The Eliksni wasted no time in drawing her twin swords and rushing the aliens head-on. She cut them down like the pathetic creatures they were before running to Erebus, sheathing her blades and placing a hand on the woman's shoulder. The warlock's eyelids drooped and she looked ready to faint.

"Glad… you could finally… join us." Erebus told her through panting breaths. The Eliksni smiled slightly before shaking the Human gently to jolt her awake.

"Entity told me to get you two out of here. He has a plan to get rid of the target, but we need to get somewhere safe. We have to go, now." Vixera spoke in a commanding tone.

"Perses… can't move. He… needs help." Erebus panted.

Despite the howling winds of the sandstorm surrounding the trio, Vixera managed to make out the heavy foot-falls of someone running toward them from somewhere behind her. She swivelled on her heel and drew her swords expecting trouble – only to see the sprinting form of Argus running headlong towards them. When he got to her, she quickly repeated what she had said to Erebus to him and Argus nodded, making his way over to Perses to pick him up and sling him across his right shoulder. Then, he ran as fast as he could with the Titan on his back in the way he came. Vixera did the same with the now unconscious form of Erebus and followed the Human Titan into another barrage of the sandstorm, the granules still hitting her skin like thousands of tiny shards of glass.

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"Entity, we are far enough to avoid the blast." Vixera reported over the radio that was positioned on the upper right section of Entity's cloak, just as the Exo had asked her to. "Whatever you're going to do, do it now."

"Understood. Wish me luck." Entity replied. The intercom buzzed with static for a moment before Vixera said something else.

"If you are half the Guardian you claim to be, Entity, you do not need luck." The Eliksni commented. Entity inwardly smiled at her belief in him before focusing on the task at hand.

He had managed to locate the Goliath, its infantry support having been completely wiped out by his team. The lone tank was unaware of his presence due to the fact that he was made practically invisible by the engulfing sandstorm that raged around him. He soon put a stop to that, by drawing _Arbiter_, the only firearm he had left due to him stupidly leaving his other weapons on top of the dome building, and aiming it at the tank. He cursed inwardly about having to find replacement weapons when he returned to the Tower, before lining up the weapons sights.

He fired three rounds into its hull, and the tank turned to face him achingly slowly. He made a friendly wave to the driver by sticking up his middle finger; an insult that he had learned had been quite popular during the Golden Age. The tank responded appropriately, warming up its main flak cannon in an effort to destroy the rude Exo.

The shot impacted the sand where Entity's feet had been not a second earlier, having jumped high into the air to avoid the blast. He summoned his Sparrow in mid-air and landed in the pilot seat.

"You'll have to do better than _that!"_ Entity tormented. The tank was appropriately provoked, already warming up its next shot.

But Entity was already zipping away on his Sparrow, not too fast though. He didn't want to lose the Goliath in the middle of the sandstorm. Instead, he remained just in sight of the vehicle. Just enough to provoke chase, but out of range of the tanks cannon. Again the tank proved to be expectantly slow, and Entity continued the chase at what felt like a casual running speed. Eventually though, they reached the tunnels, and Entity dashed inside them, the tank following like an obedient dog. He increased his pace and reached the rendezvous point where Lancer was supposed to be. Seeing Entity, the Hunter in question hopped on his own Sparrow before Entity swung his own round to face the direction he'd come from.

"Are you ready?" Entity questioned, the tank not fifty metres away.

In response, the Hunter adjacent to him brought out a detonator with a flashing red light, signalling that it was armed.

"Oh, yeah. I've rigged the entire passage to blow. Time to see some _fireworks_." Lancer replied. Entity nodded and readied himself, the tank just about to turn the last corner before it came into view.

As his gripped the handlebars of the speedy vehicle, ready to fire his booster. He cracked his neck the same way he'd done before killing the Cabal in the dome building, and leaned closer to the Sparrow. Suddenly, the tank rolled around the corner and into view, its cannon primed to fire. Just as its shot was let loose, Entity shouted;

"Go!"

The pair of Hunters wasted no time in speeding past the Goliath, its flak left behind them, hitting nothing but empty space. As they zipped past the tank, Entity stuck his finger up at the vehicle once more, trying to piss off the driver as much as he could. The Goliath was achingly slow to turn around, and by the time it had done so, Lancer and he were past the corner the tank had emerged from just before shooting at them. As soon as the Goliath was out of sight of the pair, Entity gave Lancer a thumbs-up for him to blow the charges.

The Hunter in question nodded and took out the detonator once more, this time flipping the lid of the button and pressing it in.

Almost immediately, a series of explosions rocked the tunnels, and licks of orange flames rounded the corner they had just navigated and proceeded to slowly catch up to them. Concrete, debris and sand were flung at the pair by the large explosions. Entity could already hear the tunnel crumbling behind them, the heat of the rushing fire burning his back and scorching his cloak. Entity and Lancer rounded the last corner and saw the light of day bursting in through the entrance to the underpass, the lip of which was beeping with even more charges. Entity shouted out to his Ghost.

"Call down the ship! Open the bay doors! Now!"

Within moments, Entity's ship was directly in front of the entry to the tunnel, its cargo bay doors open, with a ramp ready to take them in. The engines were facing the pair, so the ship would be able to take off as soon as they were inside. The heat of the blaze behind them was becoming unbearable now; and Entity let out a roar of desperation as he exited the tunnel and almost crashed into the ship's cargo bay. Lance quickly followed him inside and the ship zoomed off from the red sands, mere moments before the entrance erupted by the flames of the explosion. This eruption was quickly shadowed by the follow up detonations of the entrance. As they flew towards the Barrens, Entity stood next to Lancer, who was busy admiring his handiwork, and put a hand on the destructive man's shoulder.

"Do you think… maybe that was a bit, you know, over the top?" Entity asked, with a hint of a smile in his electronic voice.

"Nah, it's art. Just appreciate the little things." Lancer shrugged. Entity chuckled softly.

"Yeah, right. Well, Edru'us is definitely dead now." He said rather sarcastically, his hands gesturing towards the tunnels.

"Oh, yeah. Trust me; I'm a _professional_ Cabal killer." Lancer chuckled. Entity raised an eyebrow before retreating into the flight cabin to direct the ship towards the rest of his fire-team.

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By the time they landed, the sandstorm had let up to the point where it was almost gone, with only a strong breeze and a few grains of sand to mark its passing. As soon as Entity touched down on the red sands, he ran over to where Erebus sat, propped against a rocky outcrop. She looked around dizzily, as if not quite remembering where she was. Entity knelt next to her and gave her a quick kiss. When he pulled away, she smiled an affectionate grin to him that would have melted his heart if he had one.

"You did really great out there today, Erebus. I'm proud of you." Entity spoke, as tentatively as he could. She raised her hand to his face and stroked his cheek with her thumb. The Exo put his gloved hand onto hers and looked deeply into her beautiful brown eyes. A few moments passed before Vixera approached and knelt down beside Entity, telling him of the incredible feat she performed with her Sunsinger abilities, saving Perses from harm. The entire time, he looked into Erebus' eyes, becoming increasingly proud of her as Vixera told the story of her heroics. After she had finished her tale, she stood back up and made her way over to Perses. She had removed some of his suits armour-plating earlier, and had carefully detached some of his Exo cladding that he wore as skin. Ripping off shreds of her cloak, she attempted to wipe away some of the sand that was embedded in his circuits.

Only after she had dusted off most of his arms and legs did Perses regain limited movement of his appendages. She would relent from tampering too much for fear of damaging her friend, instead allow the Exo engineers back at the Tower to clean the rest of his circuits, but in the meantime, she was glad to help him. The Titan looked at her with gratitude, before slowly standing and making his way over to his waiting ship, ready to wait for his fellow team-mates to return to the City.

He made sure to say goodbye to Argus first though, who was busy laughing about the Bracus' fate with a gleeful Lancer. When the Human Titan saw his comrade approaching, he turned to face him, a wide grin behind his depolarised visor. He stuck out his palm for a handshake. Perses gripped his outstretched limb and shook it as firmly as he could with his limited mobility.

"It was great to see you again, Argus." Perses said to him in his electronic voice.

"Likewise, Perses." Argus' smile dropped slightly at the mention of his name. "Hmph. I don't think I'll ever get used to calling you that. You'll always be Josh to me." Argus chuckled, regaining his cheerful expression.

Perses gave him a stern look.

"Yeah, I suppose you're right. Listen, call me whatever, I don't mind – you'll always be like a brother to me." Perses told him. Argus embraced him and patted his friend on the back. After they pulled away from each other Argus looked the Exo opposite from top to bottom.

"Besides, how'd they make you an Exo anyway? I'm a bit confused." Argus commented, his puzzled expression matching what he had spoken.

"Listen, I don't know the details, I've never been one for science mumbo-jumbo, but apparently it was an exceedingly risky procedure. Most people that undergo it never survive, and if they do, it's normal that the person loses all of their memories as a Human and starts anew as an Exo. So, yeah, I was lucky, to say the least." Perses told Argus, who stood next to him listening intently. "Anyway, are you going to be alright out here by yourself?" Perses questioned his friend, placing a hand on the titans shoulder. At the question, Argus beamed.

"Oh, don't worry about me. Lancer and I have started talks about becoming our own fire-team. So I won't be on my own anymore." Argus smiled warmly at his old friend.

"What are you thinking of calling it?" Perses asked, raising a questioning eyebrow.

At this, Argus looked at the Exo Titan a little sheepishly.

"Well, we were throwing some ideas together and… well, we may have settled on…" Argus looked at Perses nervously. "…Daemon."

Perses was slightly surprised to hear that his old fire-team callsign was now being adopted by someone he didn't really know, but didn't say anything to show it. Instead, he patted Argus' shoulder with the hand that rested there.

"Hmm. Good name. I think it's got a nice ring to it." The Exo said, attempting his own interpretation of a smile.

Argus didn't say anything more, instead opting to embrace his compatriot once more and allow him to return to his ship that waited for the Exo a few dozen metres away. Vixera strode behind Perses and boarded her own ship. She warmed its engines and engaged its stealth capabilities, turning the ship from a black blip on the Martian surface into a shimmering spot on the sands of the red planet.

Not long after, did Entity carry Erebus onto his own ship, so that he could tend to her if she fell unconscious again. She smiled weakly at him, and asked her Ghost to navigate her ship back to the Tower. Her Ghost obliged and the four jump-ships steadily rose from their still positions and into the sky of the planet, heading towards its atmosphere. Once in the gloomy, inky blackness of space, the group engine their ion- hyperdrives and plotted a course to the Tower, to the Last City of Earth.

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Sorric watched the four ships depart from the sands of the red planet from his vantage point, high up in one of the Hollows many surrounding skyscrapers. He continued to observe them until they were well out of his sight and he instead cast his gaze to the duo far below that had aided 'Fenrir' in taking out the Cabal target. Even he had to admit, the way that they had put down the target by collapsing a tunnel on it was inspired. It served as a reminder to him to not underestimate the group, and to be careful of any traps that they may think up. He slowly clambered out of the window he was using for shelter from the sandstorm that had now passed and made his way down the skyscraper to touch the sands of the Martian planet.

He calmed his mind to focus on his objective. Now he was on the _hunt._

Sorric stalked his way around the buildings that surrounded the pair of Guardians he was stalking his way towards. Sorric turned a few more corners and laid eyes his targets, a Titan and Hunter. He quickly paused for thought to make up a plan to get close to them and had an idea. Positioning his body in a manner that suggested that he was injured, Sorric walked from cove, and 'limped' his way over to the pair of Guardians. He didn't get too far before they both turned to face him, drawing the weapons from where they were slung on their backs.

As a sign of good faith, Sorric threw his shock-spear in between him and them, just as he had seen the Titan do earlier. Then, he said in broken English.

"Need help… shot by… _Ganut…_"Sorric said weakly, so as to help his wounded façade. He spoke in Eliksni to pronounce name of the Cabal, as he didn't know how to pronounce their name in the Human tongue.

When the Guardians heard this, they lowered their weapons slightly and discussed what they should do between themselves, occasionally glancing up at the Fallen in front of them. Eventually they re-slung their weapons on their backs and walked cautiously towards Sorric. When they were close enough, Sorric made his move.

Moving blindingly quickly, the Captain, drawing a blade from his back, launched himself at the two Guardians. They had little time to react and they were quickly knocked unconscious by the large warrior. Regaining his usual stance and walking to pick up his shock-spear, Sorric turned to the Guardians lying unconscious on the sand beneath him, and drove the weapon through the Titan's heart, killing him. Just as Sorric had planned, moments later, his Ghost materialised and Sorric swiped it from mid-air, clasping it in a large palm. The Ghost's single blue 'eye' looked at him in equal measures of fear and anger.

"What do you want?" It chirped bitterly in Sorric's language. The Ghost shot a livid look at Sorric and the Eliksni laughed half-heartedly.

"What do I want? Well, that's an awfully long list, little light." Sorric chuckled, looking towards the sky. "I want a sharper weapon, a House to rule over and a personal Ketch - and so much more." He looked back at the Ghost with his most malevolent look. "But you needn't worry about any of that. What I want from _you_ are your emergency situation frequencies. Think you can do that for me?" Sorric spoke, adding some pressure to the Ghost's fragile shell, cracking it slightly to illustrate his point.

The Ghost cried out in pain, and hastily transmitted the frequencies to Sorric's helmet; the codes scrolling down his feed, Sorric let the Ghost free. It dropped to the ground, unable to hold itself aloft.

"Thank you… for your co-operation." Sorric spoke maliciously, before walking in the direction of his waiting Skiff, ready to take him into orbit. The Ghost watched him leave, before its systems eventually cycled down and it succumbed to the encroaching wave of unconsciousness.


	15. XV - Ominous Plans

A Soldier of the Light

Chapter 15 - Ominous Plans

For the past twenty-four hours, Sorric had been tracking the movements of a roaming, isolated Guardian. The Guardian was alone, as he had only seen one set of footprints in the Venus mud. The size and shape of the combat boots suggested that the Guardian was a Titan. The mud that the Guardian had stepped in was dry and brittle, and had been there for at least thirteen hours. Sorric scowled, this meant that he was farther behind than he would've liked. No matter, he thought to himself, as long as he kept pushing forwards, he catch up to him eventually. For now though, he returned to examining the footprint, seeing if there were anything else of significance he could glean information from the imprint.

He had long ago ruled out the other two possibilities that the Guardian was a Hunter, as their boots usually replaced the traditional 'boot-print' with that of a localised animal. But their footsteps always left the residual remains of a wisp of Light, and as far as he was aware, there had never been any animal able to carry Light.

Warlocks had a similar issue; their footprints were usually smoother and less sunk in, due to their typically smaller frames and slender footwear. Their footprints also left some remains of the Light, but in larger quantities, as they were the warriors that were most attuned to the Light which all Guardians wielded.

He could also assume that the Titan was an Exo, as the boot prints were sunk into the mud, likely due to the extra weight of a metal chassis. A few kilometres further into the jungles of Venus, Sorric found what appeared to be the aftermath of a battle, or perhaps a small skirmish. He could see the strewn around and bullet-ridden bodies of numerous members of the House of Winter, the dominating House that occupied most of Venus.

Bullet casings decorated the ground, like some shiny crop of the Vex infested planet. There were lots of them too. Sorric sussed out from this that the Titan's weapon must have a higher rate of fire, too many shells to belong to a Hand Cannon or Scout Rifle, an Auto or Pulse Rifle were the more likely candidates of the shooting.

Investigating the carcasses of the fallen Eliksni, Sorric discovered the weapon that the Guardian used was equipped with armour-piercing rounds. This presented a challenge to the bounty hunter, as he would need to exercise caution and eliminate the target quickly using stealthy techniques. If he allowed the Titan to shoot at him, the piercing rounds, coupled with the high rate of fire that the weapon seemed to have, would spell a quick end for the Captain.

Prowling back into the undergrowth again, Sorric continued to follow the footsteps of the Exo for a few hours until he arrived at a camp. Seeing the small setup of a tent and campfire, Sorric's instincts took over and he quickly dived behind the mediocre cover of a small boulder. Peeking from around the corner of his cover, Sorric relaxed when he realised that the tent was abandoned and the campfire was snuffed, but still smoking.

Initially, the Captain was confused as to why an Exo would need to have a campfire, but assumed that the Titan may have come across some other Guardians during the night, likely Humans, if they required the warmth of a campfire, and spent the night with them to restock on ammunition and other supplies. Therefore, Sorric realised the likelihood that the Titan was still alone on his trek had dropped significantly, as he may have formed a temporary pairing with the others, and Sorric would now have to account for additional targets. The campfire was still smoking, so that meant that whoever had been burning it, namely his target had been here recently.

He walked over to the embers of the dying fire and stuck his lower right hand over it to feel any lingering heat. _Still warm._

Eyes darting frantically around the small clearing, Sorric set off at a sprint towards the jungle, away from the camp site and quickly located another set of the Titans footprints, leading away from the campsite. He pursued the trail for just under a kilometre before he emerged from the dense jungle foliage. He was greeted by a sheer cliff-face that dropped about one hundred metres almost straight down. Sorric would have exercised more caution, but near the base of the cliffs he spotted the Titan, walking calmly away from him and towards some Vex ruins in the distance, obstructed by another stretch of wilderness.

Sorric realised that he would have to catch up to the Guardian now or risk getting the Vex involved, and the Eliksni didn't particularly have any desire to face off against those metal machines of death. After all, the last time he had attempted to execute a Vex Goblin, he had been in for more than he bargained for. A simple Goblin had quickly been dispatched by his shock-spear, but Sorric had suddenly been engulfed by a dense fog that crackled with a build-up of static electricity that moments later had parted and had revealed several of the machinations surrounding the Captain and aiming their weapons at him. Only through a flurry of fighting and, to his shame, a large amount of running had he been able to escape.

Descending the cliff-face as quickly as he dared, Sorric sloped onto the grounds of the jungle basin. It was a grassy area, scattered with all manner of flora and even some local wildlife. All of these were forgotten as the Captain darted at the Titan as quickly and as stealthily as he possibly could. He raised his shock-spear in a way that would allow him to strike at a moment's notice as he creeped across the ground towards the unaware Guardian.

It was now or never.

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Entity gazed over the courtyard in silent concentration, his attention divided between his radar and his sniper-rifle's precision scope. His optics darted between the two every few seconds, his concentration so great that he seemed to be in a kind of trance of alertness, a hypnosis that would break to neutralise any adversary that came too close for their own good.

He knew that there were at least five enemies somewhere nearby, creeping around the area, looking for their prey. Unfortunately for Entity, he was included in that category. But he'd be damned if he would go down without a fight.

He was alone. Isolated. The other members of his fire-team, Fenrir, were currently elsewhere. He'd last seen Erebus in the Tower's libraries, gleaning what knowledge she could about the mysterious solar ward she had instituted during their latest mission to Mars. Apparently, very few Sunsingers were able to summon this power, and she was highly keen on learning how to control it to utilise it more often, perhaps even advance and 'upgrade' it, for lack of a better word.

Perses had recently been spending a large amount of time in the Crucible, honing his skills. But the Exo pushed himself at an unprecedented pace; seeming to almost punish himself with the almost constant physical pain he received from being killed in the Crucible.

Bu the _physical_ pain wasn't the only thing Entity had been concerned about.

Perses hardly ever said _anything_ anymore. Entity was worried about his Titan friend. Ferrum's death still seemed to haunt the Exo, and the guilt the Titan probably felt at being unable to stop his friend from killing himself had manifested in a way that Perses could only channel it and use it on others. Entity supposed that the Crucible was a way for the Titan to distract himself from the grief and pain he felt otherwise.

Vixera was currently attending to certain 'political' details between the House of Shadows and the City. She was consorting with the Vanguard on any issues that were raised by her Kell, and in turn she sent messages to her House regarding questions or issues the Tower had regarding the treaty and other things besides.

None of them were here. Just Entity. In a way, the Hunter was reminded of his first resurrection when he had met his Ghost, well over a year ago now. He was enclosed in an area with multiple hostiles that held the lingering threat of unknown danger, as Entity had no idea where any of his adversaries were. His optics carried on flitting between the radar and his general surroundings, occasionally moving to look through his sniper to see any further off enemies.

Suddenly, there was a flicker of movement to his right, and a small object came flying towards him, tumbling in the air - crackling with barely contained lightning. Entity realised a moment too late what it was.

_Grenade_.

"Shit." Entity exclaimed; leaping away from the explosive moments before it detonated in a white-blue cloud of death. His distance from the grenade helped to dull the blow, and his armour deflected most of the damage, but Entity still felt a considerable amount of pain as his body crackled with electricity.

Landing at an ungraceful angle, Entity rolled and unslung _Arbiter_ from its holster. Aiming down its barrel towards where the explosive had been thrown from. Sure enough, one of his five adversaries came dashing out of cover, straight towards the Exo, wielding what appeared to be a shotgun. Reacting quickly, Entity let off five shots at the charging figure, downing the enemy on the final bullet. The soldier fell at his feet, letting out a groan of defeat. The death rattle accompanied by the puddle of blood that began to form around the corpse.

Seconds later, a Ghost popped up above the dead Hunter as it looked for a place to redeploy its fallen quarry. Entity reloaded his Hand Cannon and holstered it. Instead resorting to using his new Sniper Rifle, dubbed 'Final Boss'.

He had foolishly left his last Sniper Rifle and Scout Rifle on top of the dome-shaped building on their recent mission to Mars. The weapons had been irreversibly damaged by the sandstorm that had ravaged the battlefield, and Entity had been forced to purchase new ones.

As previously stated, Entity had retrieved Final Boss as his new sniper, but had also claimed a Pulse Rifle for use as an all-purpose weapon. He found that the Pulse Rifle had fit nicely in his grip. The rate of fire had been fast, but not ridiculously high. The impact and stopping power of the weapon had been admirable, and was capable of downing a Guardian in the Crucible in three to four bursts, depending on his accuracy. Deciding not to dwell on such matters, Entity set off at sprint away from the site of the incursion, as other Guardians would have undoubtedly heard the explosion and gunfire and were likely heading towards him now.

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Erebus read through passage after passage of heavy, leather-bound books with tired eyes. She had been constantly researching about her newfound ability to project a bubble of Solar energy for the past seven hours. She was bleary-eyed from all the reading she had been doing, and so far she had yielded next to nothing.

She let out an exasperated sigh, stretching her arms outwards and strained her back on the chair she was sat on. Grand bookcases seemed to enclose the petite woman. High windows let in the dying light of the autumn day, casting its light on the shelves and creating shadows where it didn't touch the ground.

Eventually, Erebus stood to peruse for another volume to read. It was abundantly clear that she would yield nothing from her current endeavour in the text she had been reading. She went over to a shelf she had not perused yet and began to rifle through the bookcase's contents, looking at the names of the books of their binders and putting any she found interesting in the crook of her arm.

A book dropped down near her feet from an unseen shelf, creating a small dust cloud around the small item. Erebus jumped slightly at the sound of the impact. She looked at it in puzzlement for a moment, deciding whether or not to pick it up, before stooping to take it off of the floor.

She glanced at the cover of the small leather-bound book, blowing away the dust that obscured the title of the tome. It read; _'Guardians: Unconventional Uses of Light'_. A small flicker of hope erupted in Erebus as she hastily placed down the other books onto a nearby table and opened the small volume in her hands and read a passage that looked promising.

'…_though it is an undoubtedly rare occurrence for an individual to be able project their power into a protective ward, there have been several records of numerous Warlocks being able to complete the task. In its most rudimentary form, this power can be used to create and sustain a protective barrier, or 'bubble', around themselves._

_However, it has been suggested – and supported – that this ability can be advanced into a higher form. This form, labelled the 'Boon of Light', can theoretically be cast on an individual to give them immense power, both physically and mentally. However, there have been no recorded instances of this 'Boon of Light' being performed in the battlefield, much less in a controlled environment. It is important to note, however, that many Warlocks agree that to perform such an action would be threatening to one's life, regardless of their ability to be resurrected._

_And whosoever the Boon is cast upon will likely face terrible consequences once the Boon fades from their body; brain damage, memory loss, schizophrenia and – in the worst cases – death have been suggested as possible consequences of being affected by the Boon, though no evidence has been shown for these predictions. Furthermore…'_

With a smirk, Erebus sat down at her reading table before continuing to read the contents of the tiny book. As she continued to read through the two-hundred pages of text, split into several chapters, she found herself in awe of the vast amount of hidden knowledge contained within this single tome.

Some chapters, like the one she had first read concerning the 'Boon of Light' ability, focused on the advanced uses of common Warlock denominations and abilities. However, other chapters told her about different denominations of Guardians that utilised Light that wasn't usually attributed to them. She read of a cult of Titans that followed the ways of the mysterious Guardian, Osiris, and somehow harnessed Solar energy to be used as a weapon.

She discovered that a minor amount of Hunters were allegedly able to shape the addictive and destructive energy of the Void into a 'bow' capable of tethering multiple adversaries into place to be cut down by others. And there were apparently a small number of Warlocks that meditated beneath the lightning storms of Venus, focusing on drawing static energy from inside them, transferring it into Arc energy and projecting it into volatile waves of lightning that shot from their hands like unpredictable hurricanes. At this, Erebus raised a disbelieving eyebrow, not quite able to believe that Guardians would be able to harness the power of other energies of the Light. But she wasn't going to dismiss it as fiction either.

The tome also told of the long forgotten super-advanced artificial intelligences of the Golden Age, or AI's. The Warminds. Every Guardian knew of the intelligent machines that directed the Solar Systems super-weapons and operated surveillance on the planets and civilisations that lived on them. They were meant to have been the first line of defence against the encroaching Darkness. And, as far as the City could tell, all of the Warminds had been eradicated by the very thing they were designed to protect Humanity against.

However, certain passages in this book told of the Warminds less advanced and widely unappreciated counter-part, the Battleminds. They were in charge of surveying a certain region of a planet for a more in-depth analysis to send to a Warmind for an appropriate response. Although, just like the Warminds, almost every Battlemind had been destroyed by the Darkness, though a precious few survived and were put to use by the City to maintain control of its artillery and feed Ghost reports to the Vanguard or Speaker, depending on their urgency.

It was fascinating, and suddenly, Erebus didn't feel so bleary-eyed anymore.

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He'd left everything behind. The loot that he could have taken from the crash-site was long forgotten now. The only thing he'd held onto was an Exo core processor that he had found before encountering the Ghost, and the Ghost shell itself. It was only a lifeless husk now, bearing no sign of life or any indication to prove it had ever been alive.

Now, he had only himself, his Pike and the whispering in his head. It was a constant murmur, as if someone was speaking under their breath and mumbling at the same time, Tekka would receive glances of words sometimes, but it was just whispers, nothing but ceaseless muttering and incessant wittering. He was terrified. He himself hadn't said a word since seeing the tricorn, the sigil of the Traveller, on his hand. He'd only thought of one thing – getting answers. And Tekka thought the only way he could do that was to go back to his old House, the Devils, and beg for answers. Perhaps they knew something – anything - about his condition. He just hoped that they'd be able to overlook the fact that he had been exiled some years ago.

But that wasn't his only option, as the muttering seemed to suggest. He'd somehow been able to believe at one stage that going to the Human's City could help him. But of course that was idiocy, he knew that the Guardians would gun him down the moment they saw him. He was truly beginning to believe he was going mad, and if he wasn't insane, he felt he soon would be – he wasn't a fan of sharing his head with someone, or something, else.

He had been piloting his Pike almost constantly for the last day or so, hoping to reach the Devils Lair as soon as possible. It was getting close to midnight by the time he reached the Divide, near the Rocketyard. He was still going as fast as possible on his Pike, despite the tight corners and sharp turnings he faced when Tekka arrived.

Dismounting his vehicle for fear of damaging it further, the Vandal approached the wrecked building that served as a front for the entrance to the route leading to the Devil's Lair. Stalking his way through the hallways as quietly as possible, Tekka made his way to a wide clearing that was occupied by a single Walker and a few dozen troops. None of them had noticed him yet, but he was sure that would soon change.

It wasn't every day that they had a Vandal with a robotic appendage walking shadily through their Lair. He may have been wearing his old colours that identified him as a member of the House, but it had been a while since he had scrubbed the old cloak, and keeping cloaks in pristine condition was one of the House's mantras. To have a dirty cloak was to dishonour the House, as it hid your true colours with grime. Tekka had had friends who had been demoted to Dreg – or even killed – for not keeping their cloaks or marks of their House's colours in good condition.

He had wrapped a piece of torn cloth around the hand that bore the sigil of the Traveller, hiding it from view from any who inspected the palm of his hand. It felt warm on his appendage, as if the sign itself was its own heat source, exuding warmth throughout his entire body, especially in the arm the marked hand was attached to.

The whispering and muttering in his head had increased ever since he had reached the entrance to Lair, as if it sensed what Tekka was about to do. It mumbled and occasionally muttered words of danger that rattled around his brain, and it seemed to spawn ideas in his brain about turning around, getting on his Pike and driving away. Tekka fought this urge with everything he had, he wasn't about to turn around, not now, he was too close to the Lair to go.

Moving as stealthily as he could manage, Tekka made his way into the Rocketyard, where he weaved between buildings and shacks to reach the Refinery. It was here that Tekka hugged the walls to move through the dark complex, quietly making his way through the passages and corridors until he arrived into another, even wider, clearing. Darkened by the night sky above it, Tekka could see it was occupied by far more Devil infantry, and even had Walker guarding the entrance to the building that held the Prime Servitor, Sepiks, and further on, in a throne room, his destination.

He knew that he wouldn't be able to slip past the infantry to get into the building, let alone the Walker, even with the cover of darkness, and so he unslung his Shock Rifle and tossed it onto the ground somewhere to his right. He then took off most of his weapons, except for a few hidden Shock Daggers he had up his sleeves. He held up his metal appendage, so that its palm faced him, the wires and circuitry and plating were in grubby condition, battered by the harsh weather that he endured through when he was alone, looking at it with sad and travel-weary eyes.

Lastly, he took out a Shock Grenade, the only one he had. He was a scavenger, and grenades were a precious commodity. He treasured this item, almost as much as his appendage.

With a heavy heart, Tekka sighed and flicked his finger across the arming switch, as a result, a dim red light lit up at the base of the explosive. Tekka put a hand on the devices trigger, a button that would begin a seven second countdown. Seven seconds until the shock core, encased in an induction motor, would build up enough of an Arc charge to reach critical mass, beginning a chain reaction that would result in a large detonation. He didn't press it down though, as the voice in his head seemed to beg him not to, desperately trying to stop him from attracting the attention of every nearby Devil.

The pleas fell on deaf ears, but Tekka still hesitated before pushing the button with his thumb, pressing the trigger down and activating the countdown.

_Beep…_

Tekka threw the device about fifteen feet away from him, and walked in the direction of a clearing with no cover or anything of the sort to speak of.

_Beep! Beep!_

He lowered himself down onto his knees and stayed still, breathing in the chilly night air, looking up at the starry night sky, populated by thousands of tiny little lights, each representing a faraway star. He mused whether or not he would be able to see the star that his home planet orbited. The same planet that all Eliksni had come from, and similarly abandoned when the Darkness came after them, sensing remnants of the Great Machines Light within them. The mumbling in his head seemed to sympathise for him, offering murmured condolences and similar thoughts of home, of the Human's 'Last City'.

_Beep!Beep!Beep!Beep!_

He was snapped from his musing when the device increased its intensity of beeping, culminating in the explosion that briefly illuminated the darkness of the night like one of those many faraway stars.

Moments after the detonation, Tekka could make out the war cries and howling of several Devils, running towards the explosion's origin. And, more importantly, to him. When he saw the glowing blue of a Captain's Shock-swords coming over the crest of a slope towards him, he raised his hands onto his head in a sign of submission. Similarly, the murmuring in his head, which had been quite active, suddenly fell silent and withdrew far into his subconscious, as if trying to hide from the approaching Fallen.

When they arrived, swarming around Tekka and wrestling him to the ground, he offered no resistance, only a neutral expression and a loud voice as he bellowed his request.

"Take me to your Kell!"

Then the hilt of a Shock Sword struck the side of his head, knocking him out cold. Tekka's world faded to black.

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Entity had finished his time in the Crucible for now. You could only go into a team-based game so many times before you eventually got bored of winning. He didn't doubt that the other Guardians had their merits, buts he felt that he excelled in other areas that many other Guardians weren't particularly gifted in. For example, his use of the long-rifle, whereas other Guardians preferred use of the Shotguns or Fusion Rifles, as they were easier to use.

However, he lacked any real expertise with melee combat with his wrist-blades, _Acmon _and_ Erato. _He could fight in close-quarters just fine when he was using 'Last Resort', but he knew that one day, he may not have access to his trusty machete, and so would need to use the pair of hidden weapons to defend him from any foe.

He also knew that he wouldn't be able to train himself against the Guardians in the Crucible. As his competitors often only thought about one thing – blood. No, he would need to practise somewhere more open, with more possibilities for combat than the simple 'shoot-anything-that-moves' principle that most Guardians seemed to employ when battling in the Crucible.

He'd need a trainer, someone with real expertise when it came to fighting and an appreciation for the finer points of close-quarters combat. And Entity knew just the person to look for.

It was time to go to the Sanctum, the floor of the Tower that housed the area that the Cryptarchs' most devoutly studied the art of decryption of Golden Age artefacts and general practice of Cryptarchaeology. He would find the person he was looking for, and hopefully, he'd be able to convince him that getting out into the fresh air of Old Russia for a sparring session was a good idea. He wasn't actually a Cryptarch, in fact he was a Warlock, but that didn't stop Sage-22, better known as 'Sushi', from giving the Cryptarchs' a helping hand. Besides, he'd probably need to stretch his old legs after being cooped up in the Sanctum for so long.

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Sorric sprinted at the Titan with unrestrained haste. Putting each foot in front of each other rhythmically and purposefully, darting straight towards the unaware Guardian. His footfalls were quiet, but not silent, as the Titan turned to face Sorric at the last moment, bringing his arms up in a guard to defend against the blow that Sorric dealt with his shock-spear. It was a devastating blow, meant to cripple or kill the Guardian. But the Titan had just managed to deflect the attack enough to avoid any serious injury. However, the Guardian still sustained a serious amount of damage on his forearms where he had blocked Sorric's spear.

Streams of crimson blood trickled lazily from the wounds and onto his gauntlets, but this did not stop the Titan from unslinging the shotgun he had on his back and presumably staring death at the Fallen Captain who had just attempted to kill him beneath his visor. But Sorric didn't care; he was a flurry of movement, darting left and right away from the Titan as he let off shell after shell from his bulky Shotgun. Sorric would wait for the opportune moment to strike out at the Guardian.

A lucky shot grazed Sorric's abdomen, embedding pellets in his side as he ran around the small clearing, avoiding the Titans shots. The pain flared in his stomach, but he wouldn't allow himself to think about the wound, he still had a job to do. The Titan stopped firing, pausing to reload his weapon. Sorric saw this as the perfect time to strike. Lunging towards him, the Captain swung his spear again. This time, the Guardian had no opportunity to deflect the strike, and the end of the blade embedded itself deep into the Titans chest.

_Thunk!_

A moment went by before the Guardian exhaled a long death-rattle, and Sorric pushed the body off of his weapon, waiting for the Guardian's tiny companion to materialise out of thin air. Just as he had planned, the Ghost popped up and, just as he had done on Mars, Sorric snatched it away from the body before the machine could resurrect its fallen protector.

The Ghost's tiny blue 'eye' looked at Sorric in abject terror. It knew that this Captain could easily crush it with the same hand that he held it with. The Ghost shell surrounding his main-frame and AI cortex might be good protection against the harsh weathers of alien surfaces, but it would be no match for the concentrated force of a large male Fallen Captain pressing down on his casing.

"What do you want?" The Ghost asked, frightened of the four menacing eyes that cast an ominous look at it.

"Always the same question - every time." Sorric said in a low voice, under his breath. "It needn't concern you, Little Light, but you can help me." He said, addressing the Ghost. "You see, you have something I need. I'd like for you to give it to me - without need for violence. Understand?"

"Yes." Ghost spoke, scared by what the Fallen he was addressing meant by 'violent'.

"Good. Now, I want you to… _donate_ your Guardian resurrection protocols and, let's see… your emergency localised amplifier." Sorric growled.

The Ghost looked at him in shock.

"But, if I give you my resurrection protocols, I won't be able to revive my Guardian." The Ghost managed to speak, its cortex practically overheating with the ceaseless calculations regarding what would happen next based on his responses.

"So?" Sorric muttered in a dangerous. "Get some other Ghost to come out here and revive him."

"That won't work. Revival doesn't work like that." The Ghost managed.

"Shame." Sorric mocked, chuckling slightly. "_Give me the protocols_." The Eliksni snarled, adding a little pressure to the shell for encouragement.

The 'eye' of the Ghost seemed to shrink back, as if to protect itself from the clearly irritated Fallen. A moment passed whilst the Ghost worked out the transmission details. He then processed them and sent the compiled protocols into Sorric's helmet feed.

Nodding his head in a curt manner, Sorric addressed the next item on his list.

"Now, the amplifier."

The Ghost didn't move for a moment, realising what the Fallen Captain wanted was something he didn't want to give to him, not one bit.

"But, that's part of me. You can't get it unless…" The Ghost trailed off, connecting the dots.

"I just wanted to give you closure." Sorric growled, smiling in grim satisfaction as the Ghost screamed in pain as Sorric crushed its shell into tiny pieces, destroying the tiny robot. Its inner circuitry exposed to him, Sorric rifled through the contents of his newest kill, picking and choosing which parts of the Ghost he wanted.

Then, he placed the pieces he required in a pouch on his belt, and discarded the rest of the parts towards where he had dispatched the Guardian, whose body was already turning to dust due to the lack of a Ghost.

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"Again." The weary, but firm voice of an Exo told him.

Entity pushed himself off of the floor and dusted his armour off. He muttered a small string of curses before raising his fists in a guard yet again, facing his opponent and fixing him with a hard glare. The Warlock opposite him conducted himself in a similar fashion and nodded to the Hunter.

Entity paced forward and struck out a fist in a jab. Sage-22, better known to his colleagues as Sushi, easily parried the blow and raised his knee in a kick that impacted on Entity's stomach. The Exo in question was sent sprawling backwards and landed on his back.

"Sloppy." Sushi said in a disinterested voice, walking over to the toppled Hunter and offering an outstretched arm as a way of offering apology. "It's a wonder you were ever able to defeat those Cabal with those blades of yours. If they'd seen you before you got the jump on them, I'd still be at my table in the Sanctum reading up on the history of the Ishtar Collective on Venus. Not to mention that you'd be dead."

The Hunter grabbed the outstretched hand and pulled himself up from the ground, dusting himself off once more. He looked around the small clearing just outside the City's limits. It was similar to the area he had had his run in with Kyle, the Titan prick who he had been in training with little over a year ago. He still remembered the horrified look on the Titan's face when Entity put a bullet through his head.

"Yeah, well, try not to sound _too_ happy about it." Entity told him sarcastically.

Sushi paced backwards and readied his fighting stance once more. Entity sighed heavily, doing the same. The Hunter narrowed his eyes at the old Warlock, as if doing so would reveal all of the Exo's extensive knowledge about hand-to-hand combat.

"_Again." _Sushi commanded.

Readying _Acmon_, Entity waited a moment before feinting left; trying to trick the old Warlock into thinking he would attack from his side. Entity's cold-blue optics looking at where he wanted to go, his hands tracked up to Sushi's flank, but then suddenly retracted, as his feet flew to the right suddenly and Entity leapt towards the Warlock's solar plexus.

Of course, Sushi didn't fall for Entity's ruse for more than a moment, and he side-stepped to the left, letting Entity's momentum do the rest of the work for him. He turned to the Hunter, who was on his hands and knees, clearly recovering from falling over once more. Sage-22 wandered over to the Hunter, crouching down in front of him. The Hunter brought himself onto his haunches, looking up into the evening sky.

"We've been at this all evening, Sushi! I should be better by now. I haven't even put you down _once._" Entity exclaimed, exhausted.

Sushi sighed in audible dissatisfaction.

"You're looking at this the wrong way, Entity." Sushi commented, drawing Entity's optics to look at him. "You aren't going to master hand-to-hand combat in a single _lesson_. I've been fighting for what feels like eternity, my friend. I know that you're fed up with getting knocked down. But learning and mastering the art of close-quarters combat _will_ take time, like all things. Trust me, have patience, and soon enough you'll bloom like a rose with deadly thorns."

Entity shrugged in a non-committal way; not believing what Sushi was saying.

"C'mon, lesson's over. It's getting dark, and I need to get back to the Sanctum. Besides, don't you need to go see Erebus?" Sushi asked as he made his way back towards the City limits. Entity stood up to follow suit.

He turned and jogged a little in an effort to walk next to his friend. The older Exo looked at him with a neutral expression.

"Hang on a minute, Sushi. You said that this was a _lesson._" Entity said, musing what the Warlock had just said to him.

"That I did. Very astute of you, Entity." Sushi admitted, chuckling, and still walking toward the City Walls.

"So, what did you teach me? All you did was knock me to the floor every time I went at you." Entity asked him.

Only now did Sushi stop, turning to face the much younger Hunter. He would've raised an eyebrow, if he were able to. Instead, he opened his mouth to speak.

"I spend a lot of my time thinking, Entity. I'm a Warlock – it's what we do. And over time, through all my thinking, I've come to realise something." Entity said nothing, listening intently. "Improvement requires change. To make you better, Entity, I had to change the way you looked at yourself. I had to make you more determined to succeed – to beat me."

"But I didn't succeed, I didn't beat you. Doesn't that mean I wasn't determined enough?" Entity mused.

"Not at all. Because, I wanted to make something more of you, and - I'm not going to lie, Entity, I wanted to _break_ you." Entity nodded grimly. "I wanted to break your spirit, your belief that you could win. I wanted you to _stay _down when I knocked you flat."

Sushi looked hard at him.

"But I didn't, because I don't think I _can_. You learned something today Entity, whether you think you did or not. You learnt that the world isn't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a nasty, terrible place. And it will beat you to your knees if you let it."

Entity looked down at his hands, his outstretched palms that were dirty and beaten. He looked back at Sushi as he continued to unload his wisdom. His yellow eyes focused solely on Entity.

"Listen, nobody and _nothing _is going to hit you harder than life and loss. But, here's the thing, it's not about how hard you can hit_ back_. It's about how hard you can _get hit_ and _get_ _back_ _up_ again."

Entity thought about what his friend had just said for a few moments, musing on its meaning and its powerful message. Then without a second thought, Entity quickly embraced his friend, showing his appreciation for the afternoon's events and their sparring.

Pulling away from the small embrace, the pair of Exo's continued to make their way to the City.

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Sushi and Entity were chatting about their sparring session whilst travelling in the elevator to the top of the Tower where Entity was planning to meet Erebus after a hard day's work, fighting and studying, respectively. The elevator stopped on the twelfth floor however, to let on a small female Titan.

"Yeah. Don't sweat it, Archivia; I'm headed that way now. Don't worry; I'll pick up those books you need from the Library for you on the way back." She told an Awoken woman, a Warlock, standing just outside of the automatic doors that soon slid closed.

Entity cast a glance over to her as she shuffled into the already cramped lift, she had her helmet off, and so the Hunter could see that she was an Awoken, with glowing eyes and pale blue skin to boot. She had war paint seemingly tattooed onto her face, as it showed no signs of peeling or rubbing off.

His gaze must have lingered for a moment too long, as the woman turned to face him with a defiant glare. An awkward manoeuvre, to say the least, given the cramped amount of room available in the tiny elevator.

"What're you looking at, _robot_?" The Titan asked Entity, who received the full benefit of her glare.

Entity scoffed at the insult. Sushi just rolled his eyes, knowing what was about to come.

"A glow-stick wearing Titan armour." Entity retorted. The Awoken's eyes flared, rage boiling inside of the small woman.

"How dare you! I'm Awoken, I'll have you know. What are you, some kind of recycled Frame?"

This one made Entity twinge with anger slightly, thinking about how Frames were stupid and couldn't think for themselves and were given the most tedious and boring jobs around the Tower to do. Not to mention, they were pathetically fragile and weak.

"I'm an Exo, actually. And I can think of a thousand different ways to kill you in a second because of my core-processor. Just like _that_." Entity clicked his fingers.

"Yeah, right. You're just a _Hunter_. A Titan like me could kill you in a moment, _just like that_." She sneered, mocking him.

"Meatbag." Entity hissed.

"Droid." The Awoken retorted.

"_Glowstick_."

"You already used that one." The Awoken said, smiling in victory.

"Ah, well, I wasn't sure if it got through your thick Titanskull the first time around." Entity returned after a moment's hesitation, an equal amount of satisfaction swelling in his chest. Sushi sighed and put a palm on his face, chuckling slightly.

The short Titan glared at him for few seconds longer, before her frown cracked a little and soon became a beaming grin. She laughed despite herself.

"Damn, man. You almost had me with that one." She chuckled lightly, her laughter dying down.

"Yeah, it was hard for me to keep a straight face too." Entity chuckled, making fun of his inability to smile correctly. This made even Sushi chortle with laughter.

After a moment of giggling, the Awoken woman stuck out her palm, expecting the Exo opposite her to shake it.

"I'm Jo."

The Hunter took her hand and shook it firmly, deliberately.

"Entity. A pleasure to meet you. A little... _small_… for a Titan, aren't you?" Entity asked. The Awoken woman just smiled and rolled her eyes, as if she'd had to explain this to everyone she'd come across. She probably had, for all Entity knew.

"Yeah, but after my training in the Tower was complete, I was charged with being a Titan. Mostly because I can't use… _space magic_." She cast a glance over to Sushi, his Warlock robes drawing her attention. "Besides, I'm shit at stealth - and don't even get me started on those blasted knives, so I could never be a Hunter either."

"So you just became a Titan instead." Entity finished for her.

Jo clicked her tongue.

"There you go. You got it all by yourself. And what do you mean, _just a_ _Titan_? I pack a mean punch." The Awoken said, bringing up a lightning-charged fist to make her point clear.

Entity attempted to raise an eyebrow, but failed miserably, opting to unsheathe one of his wrist blades instead.

"Strength isn't everything, you know. Speed and stealth count too. Not to mention pointy things." Entity told her.

Jo raised an eyebrow instead of her fist this time.

"Mm, okay. That's a pretty knife you've got there." She glanced behind him, seeing his Sniper holstered on his back. "And you're a sniper too. Aren't you just full of surprises? Listen – I've got a few bounties to run on Mars that need doing in a few months' time. They aren't too important; I can always take them by myself. But I'd appreciate some back-up. Want to help?"

Entity thought for a moment. He didn't have any plans. Besides, maybe he'd see Argus again.

"On one condition."

"Name it." Jo said.

"He comes too. He isn't a bad shot, and he knows a thing or two about hand-to-hand combat." Entity told her, jerking a thumb at Sushi. The Warlock opened his mouth to complain, but Jo cut him off before he could say anything.

"Sure thing." Jo said, and Entity shook her hand on it. It was a done deal.

The elevator bell dinged. Entity looked up; this was the Library, where he knew Erebus would be. He looked back at Sushi, apology in his optics. Again, Sushi only rolled his yellow optics.

"Go on, then." Sushi said.

Entity gave a mock salute to the pair of Guardians as the elevator doors slid open.

"This is my stop. Thanks again, Sushi." Entity told him as he left the lift area in a hurry, wanting to see Erebus as soon as possible.

A moment or two went by before the elevator doors closed again, and the lift began ascending again. Sushi cast a glance at Jo, who raised a questioning eyebrow.

"I know, I can't believe I'm friends with that asshole either."

**Author's Note:**

**Hey, guys. I hope you liked this chapter. A little shorter than usual, I know. I'll explain why in a second.**

**Just a few things before I go. First off, I need to thank my good friend Razzack for letting me use Jo and Sushi in this chapter, both of which belong to him. He's a great writer, and he has also written a story for Destiny that comes a little after mine, both of which occur before the events of 'In His Footsteps/ O' Brother, where Art Thou?' by RC927. Go check them both out!**

**Okay. You know how I said a few chapters ago that I was considering writing a Hive themed story? I've written the prologue and the first chapter for that one, which I'm going to call 'Dying Light'. I'll release it after I complete this story, which will definitely be done before the end of February, I promise. So keep an eye out for it. Only a few more chapters to go!**

**Stay strong, Guardians.**

**Reilly.216**


	16. XVI - Beginning of the End

A Soldier of the Light

Chapter 16 – Beginning of the End

Tekka came to with a pounding aching in his head. He opened his eyes slowly, trying to make out his surroundings. The three-armed Vandal saw that he was in a holding cell, iron bars caging him in a tiny room.

Anger swelled in Tekka for a moment. How dare the Devils imprison him? He was a guest, and had demanded an audience with the Kell! His frustration died down quickly though, as his fuming only increased the throbbing in his head. He raised his metal arm up to where it hurt most, roughly where the Devil Captain had hit him with his Shock-sword. It came away caked in Tekka's luminescent blood. He furrowed his brow in annoyance.

Attempting to stand, Tekka pushed himself off of the ground and sat on his haunches. The pounding in his head made it difficult for him, but he managed. He looked around again. The room was bare of anything he could use to make an escape, but he doubted that even if had the suitable items to pick the lock on the door, attempting escape would be a poor choice of action.

He would sit and wait. Someone would come for him eventually, he could tell. It wasn't every day that an exile returned to his ex-House, requesting an audience with his former leader.

Backing up against the wall farthest from the cell door, he slid down slowly and settled with his lower arms crossed and his upper arms resting on his knees. He closed his eyes and attempted to get some sleep before he would be retrieved for whatever the Devils wanted him for.

After a solid twenty minutes of deep breathing and peaceful thoughts, the pounding in Tekka's head suddenly ceased, and the Vandal opened his eyes as a voice replaced it.

"Hello, Vandal." It said to him. It was close, like someone had leaned over his shoulder and whispered something into is ear.

Tekka opened his eyes, looking to the iron bars for his escort to take him somewhere new. But no-one stood there, only an empty hallway, with an unoccupied cell, identical to his across from him.

"Who's there?" He asked. Silence, he wondered if some of the Devil Dregs were playing a cruel ploy on him, hiding around the corner, further up the hallway, out of his sight.

"You know me, Vandal. I have been with you for days now. I was there at the crash. Now I am here, in this cell, with you." The Voice spoke again.

Tekka wondered if it was the voice was speaking to _him_. He was becoming more and more delusional every day.

"I'm afraid not, Vandal. You are not delusional. I am quite real - or I was, at least." The Voice informed him.

Now Tekka shot up, looking around his cell, watching for the owner of the voice. He was scared, his eyes scouring every inch of space in the small room.

"Who are you?" Tekka asked, expecting a reply from the mysterious voice that seemed to be able to hear his thoughts.

"I… don't recall my name. But I can tell you that I wish you no harm. I inhabit the same mind that you do; I would hardly wish to end my existence at the expense of another, especially one with such a… noble goal." The Voice told him.

Tekka lowered his fists, and let out a breath he wasn't aware he was holding, when he realised that this anonymous voice wished him no ill will.

"I'm Tekka, Exile of Devils. What do you know of my goals?" Tekka narrowed his four eyes, and crossed his arms.

"I know your thoughts; know your actions before you do them. I have access to all of your memories, even the ones that you yourself cannot recall." The Voice told him, sounding satisfied with itself. "To be frank, I know you better than you know yourself."

Tekka narrowed his eyes, not believing that this mysterious voice could know his past, let alone his thoughts.

"I don't believe you. For all I know, you're just a figment of my imagination – a delusion after spending so long on my own." The Vandal spoke to himself. If anyone were listening, it would seem that the Eliksni was having some bizarre telephone conversation with himself.

There was a moment of silence from the Voice, and Tekka thought that he had beaten it. Perhaps with realisation that it could more than likely be a result of his damaged and fractured psyche.

But the Voice shattered his illusions in the next moment.

"Tekka Vor-Chull. Exile from House of Devils." The Voice droned. "Reared from a young age to be a Scouting Operative and spearhead for invading Devil forces. You once attempted to overthrow the House of Shadows with the rest of your Clan, but you were defeated and had your arm dismembered in the invasion. You were taken prisoner by the Shadows and you were eventually released to return to your House. As thanks for releasing you, you attempted to transmit sensitive data regarding House of Devils troop movements and supply-camp co-ordinates for future Shadow raids. However, you were interrupted and were cast out by your brothers-in-arms. You returned to Shadows territory and began studying Human culture, but didn't interact with the House itself. Instead, you maintained watch over their Lair from an old Human hangar. You had been there for five years, seven months, twenty-one days and sixteen hours before you departed to arrive at the crash-site where you met me. Is further information required to convince you of my abilities?" The Voice questioned with a hint of smugness.

Tekka grumbled but stayed quiet, opting to sit back down and attempt to go to sleep again.

"No. I believe you. Now, be quiet, let me rest." Tekka said to the Voice politely.

He felt the Voice's presence recede into the depths of his mind and leave his mind's eye. Now, finally, he could rest for a while in peace.

There was a loud banging on the bars to the cell. Tekka muttered in irritation as he looked over to the knocker, and saw a Captain with Shock-swords in hand; ready to cut Tekka down if tried anything.

"On your feet, outcast. My Kell wishes to see you."

Tekka's annoyance suddenly turned into nervousness as he nodded his head and swallowed a lump in his throat.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Entity looked around the Sanctum, study home of the Cryptarch's with morbid fascination. While he was intrigued by the possible contents of the mountains of book-shelves and ancient knowledge of the Golden Age, he was more interested in finding his girlfriend.

Entity scoffed to himself. _Girlfriend._ A term he was not used to. One he could not comprehend. Entity wagered that his creators had never hypothesised that their creations would one day be given sentience by the Traveller and be able to find love in the ruins of a dying world.

He smirked at the thought of scientists chatting centuries ago, discussing whether or not their machinations would, in the future, be able to garner themselves into a romantic relationship. With a Human at that.

It was absurd, and completely crazy to think about.

But when Entity rounded the corner, his optics gazing on the seated and weary form of Erebus, with her hair draped over her shoulders while she was leaning over a book of some sort, her deep brown eyes flitting over the page with elegant grace, Entity wondered how she hadn't been scooped up by the first man who met her. He 'smiled' softly to himself with pride and affection for the woman he saw before him.

She was perfect.

Entity wandered over as stealthily as he could manage, clinging to the gloom of an enormous bookcase that flung shadows across the room. He crept up behind and rested his chin on her shoulder.

"Evenin', beautiful." Entity whispered. Erebus grinned widely, her fatigue and weariness evaporated at his presence. She tilted her head to rest against his faceplate, closed her eyes and let out a long sigh of relief.

"Hi." She simply returned. She revelled silently in that peaceful moment before Entity took his head off her shoulder so he could pull up a chair to sit adjacent to her. He looked deeply into her eyes for several seconds before piping up.

"What're you reading?" Entity asked her, trying to make conversation. He nodded to the open tome in front of her, his gaze flitting to take in her face. She truly was beautiful. Erebus smiled a fatigued smirk that would have made Entity's heart skip a beat if he had one.

"The typical archetypes of a widely unknown Warlock specialised blessing of the Light that emerges in powerful Warlocks that have successfully mastered their two existing attunements to the Light, Voidwalker and Sunsinger." Erebus said without breaking eye contact.

Entity stared at her, dumbfounded. He opened his mouth to speak, and then closed it again. He raised his hand slightly off the table before putting it back in defeat. Instead, he cleared his throat.

"In English, please?" Entity asked politely.

Erebus giggled and shook her head a little before addressing him again.

"Do you remember what Vixera told you about - -" Erebus topped mid-sentence, eliciting a wary gaze from Entity. "Where is she, by the way?"

Entity was confused for a moment.

"Who? Vix?"

Erebus nodded, raising an eyebrow at the shortened nickname for their Eliksni friend.

"Attending to some… _business_ between the City and her House. She's at the Shadow's Lair. I've scheduled to meet with her later on to iron out some details with the Kell." Entity replied.

"Okay. When are you leaving?" Erebus asked him.

"Well, I've organised to meet him at the Lair in the evening. So I'll probably be off pretty soon." Entity said, casting his gaze up to the window, which cast the dying sunlight through its coloured window-panes.

"What kind of details are you 'ironing out'?" Erebus asked, making quotation marks with her fingers.

Entity simply stared at her for a moment. He ejected and sheathed his wrist-blades a few times before he replied.

"A couple of Guardians that have ventured into Shadow's territory near the Forgotten Shore have gone mysteriously missing. The Vanguard wants me to go and ask if the Kell knows anything about such reports. You know; if he's the one behind it and where they might be."

Erebus furrowed her brow.

"The Vanguard thinks the Shadows are behind it?" She asked, assuming the worst. Suspicion was a terrible thing to have when regarding your allies.

Entity shrugged.

"Not sure. But Vixera has assured me that she doesn't know anything about it. I believe her. I'll still need to go though. Orders are orders, you know?" Entity said sombrely, casting his eyes down.

Erebus placed her hand on Entity's hand on the table, rubbing her thumb on it gently.

"I'm sure it'll be fine. There'll be some other explanation, don't worry." Erebus smirked affectionately at him.

Entity smiled at her, raising his eyes back up to her face.

"I hope so. Anyway, you were saying?" Entity asked.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah. You remember what Vixera told you about how I projected that Solar Ward back on Mars when we were working with Argus?"

Entity nodded.

"So, I've been doing some research, and apparently I can somehow… _'upgrade'_ this power so that I can bless someone with what's called a 'Boon of Light'. It'll basically let me give great power to either myself or another person. You'll become faster, stronger, smarter and have super-human reflexes." Erebus said to him.

"So if it's so amazing, why hasn't this been a thing already?" Entity asked her, stating the obvious.

"You see, it's so rare and virtually misunderstood by so many as a hoax, or a myth." Erebus replied.

Entity hummed in thought. He wasn't convinced that it was anything but complete rubbish, but there did seem to be a modicum of truth to what she was saying.

"Well, you keep working at it, and I'll come back in a few hours and we can go on Patrol or something." Entity said to her.

Erebus furrowed her brow in annoyance. It seemed to her like Entity was ditching her to go and complete his duties elsewhere. Entity saw her face, and walked over to 'kiss' her cheek.

"Don't worry. I'll be back before you know it, okay?" Entity told her. Erebus smiled and nodded as she went back to her work. Entity cast a last glance over to her as he walked away and chuckled to himself. How had an Exo like him landed a girl like her?

Hell if he knew.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

"Vixera, I'm coming up on the Forgotten Shore now. Where are you?" Entity asked over the short-range communications built into his jump-ship. Vixera's reply came through the crackle of static and white noise.

"I will uncloak my ship. I am standing next to it." Vixera told him. No sooner had she said so did a shimmering occurred at a non-descript area of the ground. Seconds later, a sleek black jump-ship appeared in its place.

Entity smirked as he piloted his own ship near to hers.

"Ghost, transmat." Entity ordered. A blue haze enveloped his vision, and moments later, Entity found himself standing next to his Eliksni friend, her arms crossed. She looked up at the ship as it flew away; guided by its autopilot, back to orbit. She turned to the approaching Hunter, worry in her eyes.

"What's wrong?" Entity questioned as he neared her.

"The reports of the missing Guardians in our territory, they concern me. The Shadows have had no part in their disappearance Entity, I assure you." Vixera seemed to plead.

"I believe you, Vix. It's the Vanguard that are suspicious. _They_ weren't the ones holding off the entire House of Vigil, that was _us_. They don't have the bond that we do." Entity assured her. Vixera seemed dejected.

"You say the Vanguard is suspicious?" She sighed. "If that is true, the alliance is over before it has even begun." Vixera looked up to Entity, who looked at her in sombre understanding.

Suspicion was a deadly weapon, more destructive than all the worlds bombs. It set allies against each other, it made them paranoid. Countless wars had been waged because of nothing more than _suspicion_. Entity cursed under his breath, then spoke to Vixera.

"C'mon. Let's get going, and see what the Kell says about it."

.

Entity casually walked into the throne-room. He was greeted by the sight of the Kell sitting lazily on his 'throne', with his Archon, the one who had given Entity his wrist-blades, standing behind his right shoulder. Of course, there were several Vandals stationed as his honour-guards, and even a Baron occupied a corner of the room.

Entity looked around at the crowd, then to the Kell who stared at him with a fire in his eyes. The Exo chuckled.

"Quite the turnout." Entity commented suddenly. "I had no idea I was so popular!" He quipped.

The Kell stood and approached the Hunter, who appeared feeble in comparison. Entity wasn't worried though, he'd already taken own two Kells already. The Vigil Kell and the Cavalier Kell. Well, that one was _mostly_ Ferrum, but it was a team-effort.

"You _jest_ in my presence? You dare? First, your leaders insult my honour, and then you approach me - to make _jokes_?" The Kell snorted, clearly angered by the Vanguards distrust of him.

"Kell of Shadows, I meant no offence. Please, excuse my… wit." Entity commented, attempting to make reparations between the two of them. The Kell nodded, and then returned to his throne. It was more of a glorified chair, when Entity thought about it. Throne? No. But if it made the Kell feel more important…

"Now…" The Kell spoke when he became comfortable in his 'throne'. "Your leaders have accused me of harming their precious Guardians? Is that right?" He didn't give Entity the opportunity to answer, as he continued his rant. "First, they make offer peace between our races, then accuse us of… what, _killing_ Guardians? We are the House of Shadows; we would not hide from our actions. If we _had _killed any Guardians, your people would be the first to know. And we would atone for our actions. So, believe me when I say this. _The Shadows haven't harmed any Guardians since our treaty was arranged._" The Kell growled in a low voice. His guards all shifted nervously.

Entity sighed heavily.

"Look, Mr. Kell, I don't doubt that you didn't harm any Guardians. Neither do the Vanguard. They just want to know if you had any idea of who it might have been! Has there been any suspicious activity recently that you've noticed? Anything at all?" Entity asked.

The Kell thought for a moment and then looked to his Archon, who shook his head. The Kell then turned to one of his guards and whispered something to him. A few seconds later, the guard nodded and exited the throne-room. The Kell then looked back to Entity, a hard stare of wariness focused on the Exo.

"I have sent for my Head Scout, and any intelligence he has on these… _disappearances_ of yours. He will give you everything he has about it. I trust this concludes our business?" The Kell questioned, and Entity nodded seriously. "Good. I will take my leave, then."

With that, the Kell stood and swiftly left the throne-room, his honour-guard and his Archon following closely. Once they were gone, Entity let out a long sigh and then looked to Vixera.

"Well… _that_ went well." He joked. "Are you allowed to come back with me now? Back to the fireteam?" He asked. Vixera nodded in response. "Good." Entity said, nodding mostly to himself more than anything.

He made a noise that resembled a Human clicking their tongue.

"Well then, I guess we'll just have to wait for the Head Scout and his intelligence, and then we can be on our way."

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

His plan would soon come into fruition, and then he would be rewarded with the largest sum Sorric had ever seen. He had no doubt that he would return to his House victorious and, more importantly, wealthy. But, it paid to be cautious. If this was to be his last mission, there was something he had to do first.

Sorric piloted his Skiff over the snow-capped mountains of the northern mountain range that used to be known by the Humans as the Himalayas. Suspended high above the mountains, in sub-orbit, lingered the House of Venom's Ketch. The Skiff's console bleeped and hailed an incoming transmission, originating from the Venom Ketch. Sorric pushed a button, and a crackling voice came through on the intercom.

"Skiff 12-37, we have you on our radar. Our weapons are ready to fire on you. Give us your security codes, or you will be fired upon. You have ten seconds to comply."

Sorric buzzed in on the device and leant closer to the microphone, ready to give his clearance code.

"Code is ST-458."

A few moments went by before a reply came.

"Roger that. Welcome back, Sorric. You mind telling me why you're piloting an enemy Skiff?" The voice asked after verifying the clearance code the Fallen Captain had provided. Sorric chuckled darkly.

"This vessel was… _acquired_ from another House's Ketch." He rumbled through the microphone.

Another pause.

"Good work. You are cleared to board."

.

Once he had docked with the Ketch, Sorric proceeded straight to the main hall, which led into other sections of the Ketch. Mess Hall, Barracks, Crew's Quarters, Armoury. All of these meant nothing to Sorric. Seeing as it was nearing midday, he knew he would have to proceed to the training arena to find what, or rather who, he was looking for.

Proceeding to the Combat Training Arena, Sorric calmly walked through the entrance. He saw dozens of members of the House training in various ways. Some were working on fitness training, doing exercises and the like, whereas others were using wooden sticks to work on their close-combat fighting techniques. There was also a rudimentary shooting range for the sharpshooters and marksmen of the House to work on their aim. It was inferior to their primary shooting range, located in a different area of the Ketch.

However, Sorric didn't care for any of these activities. Instead, he made a beeline towards the specialised training area, where House members could train with real weapons, at the risk that they would be injured more severely than with the wooden sticks.

There was currently a skirmish occurring in the theatre. Five Vandals occupied the arena; however four of them seemed to be ganging up on a single combatant. Sorric watched the fight with distanced interest. He watched the outnumbered combatant carefully, studying his movements.

The isolated Vandal taunted one of the others, insulting his mother. A petty tactic, but it seemed to work, as the taunted Vandal lunged at the Isolated one. Isolated swept his leg under the charging Vandal's heel, tripping him up. He delivered a swift blow with his fist to the taunted Vandals cranium, knocking him out cold.

Three Vandals remained, and two of them nodded to each other, deciding to attack Isolated with a double-offensive. Two on one, it wasn't fair – for them.

Isolated sprinted towards them, catching them off-guard. When they positioned their upper bodies to defend themselves, they left their lower bodies vulnerable. Isolated exploited this lapse in judgement on their behalf and punished them by slashing the thighs of one Vandal, and kicking the others knee with enough force to break his leg. There was a sickening crack as the Vandals leg was bent in the wrong direction and the resulting blood-curdling howls of pain echoed around the training room, drawing the attention of every Eliksni in the room. Sorric didn't flinch at the screams of pain. He only smiled.

The last Vandal looked at his three defeated allies and then to the Isolated Vandal. The last Vandal dropped his swords and he fell to his knees, begging for mercy. The Isolated Vandal, who was now no longer outnumbered strode over to him. The Vandal remained stoic, his expression impassive. A moment of silence surrounded the scene. The air was pregnant with tension.

Suddenly, the Vandal standing over his pleading adversary pounced, pinning the piteous Vandal to the ground. Then, without warning or mercy, the Vandal began pounding the others face in. Striking his opponent again and again and again. He gave the now bloody Vandal no pity, and he carried out the brutality with no remorse. He kept on punching, and eventually a pair of Captains stepped into the scuffle and pulled the victorious Vandal off of his now comatose opponent. He didn't help the Captains when they pulled him off, but did not resist either. The Captains escorted the Vandal out of the ring, where they encountered Sorric, who simply stared down at the Vandal.

With a wave of his hand, the two Captains dispersed, returning to the arena to transfer the beat-up Vandal to the medical wing of the Ketch. Sorric didn't care though, his eyes never left the Vandal, who stared only at the ground, near Sorric's feet.

"That was quite a show you put on, Aravek." Sorric said in a flat voice. "But you must do better. Your execution of your attack on your first opponent was sloppy, sharpen that up." Sorric commented.

"Yes, sir." Aravek replied, still staring at the floor.

"You let your bloodlust get the better of you with that final opponent. Control yourself. A warrior of the House of Venom must always be in command of his emotions. If you allow your anger to get the better of you, you dishonour your House, your heritage and yourself. Am I understood?" Sorric continued.

"Of course," Aravek looked up to meet Sorric's eyes, "Father."

Sorric stared at his son. He had his Mother's eyes. He knew that one day he would be more powerful than even he was. A greater warrior by far, but that would require discipline and hard work. And no small amount of sacrifice. Sorric sighed. He knew that he had not been the best Father to his child. Since his Mate had died in child-birth, Sorric had distanced himself from his son, getting swamped in his work to cover up the pain. He spent time with his son, of course. But not nearly enough to even meet the standards of a decent parent.

The Tai name would live on in legend, Sorric was certain. But for that to happen, his son needed to be the best he could be. But once Sorric had completed this contract, he promised that he would be a better Father to Aravek. A child can only go so far on their own; they would require support at one point or another to reach their full potential. And who better to lend their support than a parent? Sorric mused.

"Well done, Aravek. You improve every day." Sorric told him. Aravek nodded solemnly.

Sorric sighed, wondering whether he should reward his sons fighting ability with some compassion. An embrace, perhaps? No, that was too _much_. Kind words of reassurance? Again, no, that would be too _little_. After another moment of thought, Sorric placed a hand on his sons shoulder and squeezed gently. Not enough to inflict pain, but plenty to get his point across to his son. He loved him, even if he did not show it.

Swallowing a lump in his throat, Sorric turned and left the training room to return to his Skiff after gathering some Ether supplements from the Mess Hall. It was time to enact the final stages of his plan and complete his bounty.

.

Aravek watched his Father leave without saying goodbye. He treasured these moments with his Father, as fleeting as they were. And he hoped one day to be as _powerful_ as he was. As _feared_ and as reputable as his Father was.

After all, he was Avarek Tai, Son of the great Sorric Tai. And by the Primes, he would make his Father proud to call him his son.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Tekka was pushed and shoved all the way to the throne-room of the Lair. Anyone who saw him that knew who he was hissed and cursed at him. Occasionally, they would throw worthless salvage at him. A few pieces of metal hit him, but he did not look at any of them. They had a right to hate him, he didn't blame them. It was true that he had betrayed his House, and the people that had known him when he still had all four arms, the people that knew Tekka when he still carried the family name 'Vor-Chull'. They were well within their rights to hate him, and he understood.

He hoped the Kell would be able to see past his past hatred and the bad blood that existed between Tekka and the House. Primes, if he was lucky enough, they might even have a new Kell that _didn't_ hate him.

But, of course, he wasn't _that_ lucky.

Ever since the previous Devil Kell, Solkis had died in the battle of Twilight Gap, his shoes had been filled by the Archon, Riksis. He was mean-spirited and violent. A strong leader, but awful diplomat. Tekka doubted he would receive any hospitality or special treatment from the large Eliksni.

Riksis sat in his throne, his lower pair of arms clutching a Shrapnel Launcher. He had two shock-swords dangling by his sides, and he was protected by several Kell's Guard. Of course, Riksis was still the Archon, as Eliksni law blatantly stated that an Archon could not become the Kell due to their pledge to the House's Prime Servitor, and a Kell could not fulfil the role of an Archon, as they had not been trained in youth to have an attunement to the wishes of the Prime Servitor.

But Tekka wasn't stupid. Neither was Riksis, and he knew that he was Kell in all but name. Everyone could see it, the attitude that he treated others with, his willingness to fight, as well as his gradually growing detachment from his duties as an Archon. It was safe to say that Riksis wasn't the Kell, but he was as close as you could get without breaching Fallen law.

Riksis bored expression hardly changed when Tekka entered the room, and Tekka's hard stare did nothing to change it.

"Kneel!" The Captain who had escorted him here growled to Tekka.

When Tekka didn't budge, the Captain kicked the back of Tekka's left knee, making him buckle and he fell to the ground, unintentionally kneeling to Riksis. Tekka let out a small growl of disapproval but did not say anything to the temperamental Captain.

Riksis gazed at Tekka for a long time, his four glowing eyes seemingly boring into his very soul. Tekka was tempted to look away from his scrutinising gaze, but eventually Riksis spoke, breaking his solemn silence.

"Tekka Vor-Chull." Riksis announced, emphasising each syllable of his name. "If memory serves, I distinctly recall exiling you under punishment of death if you ever returned." The large Eliksni leant forward, leering at Tekka. "And yet here you are." Riksis returned to his lazy posture, slumping against the throne. "Why?"

Tekka continued to stare at Riksis, his own silence brooding with questions in his mind. The Voice had receded, seemingly wanting to be as far away from this Eliksni as possible. Tekka was alone in his mind for once. This was the question he had been dreading. He had wondered how to answer this very question on his journey to the Lair and every moment since until that point in time. _Why was he here?_

After a few moments of silence, the Captain behind Tekka raised the butt of his Shock-rifle to strike him, but the Archon held up a hand, stopping him. The Captain returned the rifle to his grip, instead giving Tekka a hard stare indeed.

"To ask for your help." Tekka responded. A moment of silence went by, before Riksis began laughing loudly. After a few moments of malicious laughter, the Archon eventually regained his composure and looked at Tekka as if he'd just spouted gibberish.

"Why, by the Primes, would I want to help you? An Exile?" Riksis asked, his voice low and dangerous. Tekka knew he would he to answer this question very carefully, his life likely depended on his answer.

He was about to do something either extremely _idiotic_ or inspired.

"I have been marked – _cursed_, if you will. My business is that of a scavenger, sifting for salvage in junk and locating tradable objects for Ether." Tekka stood, and the Captain behind him growled. But again, Riksis only waved his hand, silencing the Captain.

"And, by the blessing of the Primes, I discovered the greatest salvage of all." He announced, drawing the entire room's attention. "An intact _Ghost_."

This caused the occupants of the room to hiss in protest and shout a few curses at the Vandal addressing their leader. The Archon himself said nothing though, only wishing for Tekka to continue. It was in this moment that the Voice returned to his subconscious, a worried tone integrated into what it said.

"_I really hope you know what you're doing."_

Tekka only smirked with wry humour. He hadn't the foggiest idea of what he was doing, he hardly ever did. When the Voice heard this thought, it seemed to do something akin to shaking with fear.

"But, when I reached for it, the machine stained me." Tekka said, beginning to unravel the bandage on his marked hand. "It tainted my body with its terrible influence, and stamped me with the sigil of the Great Machine." As he said it, Tekka's bandage fell away, revealing his mark.

Tekka raised his hand to Riksis to show him, and the room hissed again in response. Some whispering that he was a 'traitor'. Even the Archon squinted at him, no doubt wondering if he should kill Tekka now or later.

"So I ask for your help, Archon Riksis. Show me how to help myself." Tekka nearly shouted.

The room fell silent, as Riksis stood from his throne and made his way down to Tekka, who swallowed with nervousness. The Archon was easily twice his size, and he could obviously easily crush him if chose to. He stopped just in front of Tekka, who lowered his hand in fear and edginess. Riksis towered over him, his shadow cast far behind him.

"You say you are marked by the Great Machine? By the… Humans?" Riksis asked, crouching down to face-level. Tekka could feel the heat from his breath, and could clearly see the scratches on his helmet. Tekka nodded slowly. Riksis snarled, swiping him by the throat and drawing a shock-sword from its sheath with his spare arm. Tekka gasped for breath as the Archon squeezed his throat ever tighter.

"Then it is already too late for you, Outcast. The only way to help you…" Riksis growled. The entire room held its breath, the tension mounting.

"…is to erase you completely."

And with that, Riksis plunged his shock-sword deep into Tekka's gut, making him cry out in pain. The room gasped with shock. The end of Riksis' blade protruded from Tekka's lower back, and as a final insult, he twisted the weapon from left to right and back again, increasing Tekka's pain tenfold. He screamed in agony. It was too much to bear, and he passed out, losing consciousness from the sheer pain.

Without a second thought, the Archon removed his blade and dropped Tekka to the ground, ordering the Captain that brought him here to throw him out of the Lair to die. The Captain hastily nodded and dragged Tekka's limp body out of the throne-room, a trail of blood marking his path. Riksis voiced his satisfaction with a pleased grunt and returned to his throne, sitting back and wiping Tekka's blood off of his sword with his large cloak.

Riksis smiled in perturbed pleasure as he watched the Captain drag Tekka's limp body out of the door and to the garbage chute where he would be piled with the House's trash and Riksis' other… _unfortunate_ prisoners.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Entity watched the Head Scout approach him with a datapad in hand. He was a Vandal with his armour painted black with orange highlights, and his eyes glowed with wariness and observance.

Entity nodded to the approaching Vandal and brought out his Ghost to scan the datapad. Once it was finished scanning the item, the Ghost dissipated and the Vandal returned to where he came from. Entity turned to Vixera and she nodded to him, ready to depart.

Entity raised his hand, summoning his Ghost, who promptly appeared out of thin air with an almost inaudible 'whoosh'. Its single blue 'eye' focused on the Guardian, ready to help however it could.

"Once we're on the ship, could you send a request to the others? Ask them to come to the Mothyards in the Cosmodrome. We'll take a look at the information together." Entity requested.

A moment passed by before the Ghost bleeped in a high tone.

"Done. Anything else I can assist you with, Entity?" The Ghost asked politely.

"No. Thank you, Ghost." Entity said, dissipating the small machine.

He walked with Vixera until they were outside the Lair and he summoned his Sparrow, pumping the throttle carefully and testing the fins. The engine hummed and revved, wanting to be driven. Vixera acquired a Pike from the vehicle depot, and together, they zoomed off towards the Mothyards, also known as the plane graveyard, to wait for the others.

.

Sorric's Skiff hung in the air some miles away. He listened into Entity's feed and also began heading to the Mothyards. There, he would ambush the fireteam known as Fenrir, and he would finish his contract, and exact his revenge upon Vixera.

He growled with disturbed pleasure as he piloted the ship towards the vehicle graveyard, soon to have three dead Guardians and a dead Eliksni added to the tally of the deceased in that plane cemetery.

**Author's Note:**

**Hey guys, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and had a great New Year! This is the penultimate chapter to my story, as the next will be the last one before a small Epilogue to round things out!**

**Thanks for reading, everyone.**

**And, as always, stand firm, Guardians.**


	17. XVII - End Of The Road

A Soldier of the Light

Chapter 17 – End of the Road

He awoke with gasping, desperate breath and an overwhelming amount of pain running the length of his body. Tekka looked around. It was dark, very dark, but he could tell that he was outside because of the light wind he could feel on his face. The pain was immense, and every heartbeat seemed to hurt him. He put a hand to where Riksis had impaled him with his shock-sword, and his palm came away caked in blood.

Tekka's nostrils were filled with the stench of what could only be described as putrid flesh. He gagged from disgust and looked around. He had been tossed from the Lair and onto a mound of the House's trash, in all of its disgusting forms. This meant that Tekka found himself surrounded by their collective discarded rubbish and even some excrement, if the smell was anything to go by. Tekka gasped in horror when he saw the dead bodies buried under the mounds of trash, immersed in a mountain of waste. He almost threw up when he realised that he had been left here, on top of the Devils literal shit, to die.

His insides flared in anger and rage, and he tried to stand up to crawl away from the mound of waste and rubbish and rotting bodies, but failed. Instead, Tekka scrambled away with all of his might, and gasped as the air began clearing, become fresher with every inch of ground he distanced himself from that heap of what could only be described as abhorrence made into a single unit.

When he thought that he had crawled far enough away from the heap, Tekka simply laid flat on his stomach, panting with the exertion. The pain was still near unbearable, but he realised he was somehow still alive, even when he should in every right be dead. He clearly remembered his eyes widening in shock as the 'Kell' of Devils had plunged his sword into his gut. He remembered screaming in the agony of it all, and then passing out afterwards.

So, how in the name of the Great Machine was he still alive? Tekka mused in thought as he lay in the dirt and amid the somewhat fresh air of the Russian night. This was when he felt the presence in his mind, fighting for a place in his conscience to communicate to him. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to keep its invasive presence out of his head, but the Voice soon spoke to him, regardless of his efforts.

"_I'm the only reason you're still alive, Vandal. I told you not to go to the Devils. I did."_ It said, almost sounding smug.

_What do you mean?_ Tekka thought, assuming on what he knew about the Voice that it could probably hear his judgements.

"_I'm using some of my remaining Light to preserve you and stop you from dying here." _The Voice explained. Tekka raised an eyebrow and pushed himself off the ground, then further onto his feet.

_Thanks, I suppose_; Tekka thought. The Voice seemed to project a sensation of happiness at being appreciated by the Vandal for once.

"_Now that you have seen the…_ hospitality_ of the Devils, would you like to try out my suggestion to help you?"_ The Voice asked him, putting special emphasis on the word 'hospitality', annunciating it as rather ironic.

Worry creased Tekka's brow, and he began to walk away from the Devil Lair, hoping to find some transport to help him on his way. He picked up a brisk pace, the wound in his abdomen still leaking his life-blood onto the wastelands of Earth. The pain was intense, but the Eliksni Vandal trudged on.

_I hope we won't have to go to that City of yours_; Tekka told the Voice that occupied his mind's eye. He grunted and groaned at the astonishing pain coming from his stab-wound.

"_No, there will not be sufficient time to reach the Last City. I'm afraid that my Light will not extend your lifespan for long enough. The Kell's blow was a fatal one; I can only delay your fate by so long, I'm afraid. You…will die, unfortunately."_ The Voice told him, genuinely sounding apologetic.

Tekka stopped walking and groaned at the news, as well as the wound. He chuckled, oddly at peace with the fact that he was going to die soon. He had lived a good life, trying to help others and doing the right thing. Mind you, Tekka thought to himself, doing the right thing is what got me here. A dead man walking.

"So, what are you going to do about it?" Tekka asked out loud, rather than thinking it. "Surely, you have no intention of dying with me."

The Voice conveyed a feeling of agreement to the Vandal.

"_You are correct. I do not have any intention of dying today." _The Voice commented, seemingly resolute on his words. _"I have located a bunker containing an asset that you can use to _save_ me. It is approximately two kilometres west of our current location."_

Tekka regarded this for a moment, deciding whether or not he could actually save this Voice that had lingered in his consciousness for no more than a few days. But he already felt rather attached to it, and so Tekka knew that to save it would be the right thing to do. He turned to the right, and judged the distance. It was mostly flat lands between here and there, so it wouldn't be too gruelling a trip, even if he was _dying_.

Tekka chuckled in dry humour. _Dying_. It seemed like such an… alien concept to him, but he was at peace with it all the same.

But that's in King's territory, Tekka thought. Wandering into their domain was ill-advised and honestly rather stupid. Their Kell was ruthless and cruel. If Tekka was caught, he would surely be killed on sight. It was a big risk. And it was a big ask for the Voice to suggest it, but Tekka felt certain that it was the right thing to do.

So with a sigh and a hand clutched on his wound, Tekka began limping in a westward direction with the moonlight to guide his path. Maybe he would die by a King's blade, maybe he would bleed out. But Tekka would not die in vain. Tekka Vor'Chull would not go quietly like some mewling quim. If he could save this Voice, he would do everything in his power to do so, even if it was the last thing he would do.

At this rate, that was a far more likely scenario.

IIIIIIIIIIIIII

Entity was leaning against the seat of his Sparrow, twirling a knife up into the air before catching it again. The sound of him grasping it, metal on metal, made a light 'clinking' sound. His ice-blue optics were focused on the horizon, looking for the pair of jump-ships that would herald the rest of his fire-teams arrival.

It was dark now, the sunset had dipped below the skyline and the moon had started to peek out from its hiding place. It cast a pale light on the Old Russian Cosmodrome that reminded Entity of his first resurrection, not too far from where they were now, Vixera and him. He sighed, and looked over to his Eliksni friend.

She was focused on the horizon, watching for the rest of the fire-teams approach. Their jumpships were more than likely going to come from an eastern orientation, as that was where the City was. Entity had sent a message to Perses and Erebus' Ghosts asking them to come to Old Russia so they could discuss what might have happened for the missing Guardians. And with luck, they might be able to launch a rescue mission and recover them if they could make contact.

Entity hadn't looked at the information package that the Head Scout had given him yet; he wanted it to be fresh in his mind when the others got here, so he would wait for them all to arrive so they could look at it together.

.

A gentle snowfall had begun in the time it had taken for the others to arrive and had covered most of the ground by the time that they reached the other members of Fenrir already present. The pair of jumpships didn't bother to land, instead transmatting the duo onto the building layer of snow on the ground with a soft crunch as their feet made contact. They both wandered over to Entity and Vixera, who said nothing as they approached. Entity briefly embraced Erebus and she greeted him with a smile through her depolarised visor.

Once they parted, the fireteam gathered together and Entity brought out his Ghost, who projected a map of the Cosmodrome onto the snowy ground, highlighting a few spots around the area with red dots. The three of them, Perses, Erebus and Vixera, all looked from the map to Entity expectantly, clearly wanting a reason to be out here in the freezing cold. The Hunter in question gazed at the map for a few seconds longer before addressing the group.

"Alright, it looks like there have been reports from Shadow Scouts concerning the missing Guardians, a pair of Titans called Omega-3 and Renegade-12. Both Exo's." Entity voice grew wary. The missing pair were Titans _and_ they were Exo's? Whatever had happened to them must have been serious. It wasn't easy to bring down one of those colossal warriors, let alone two. And if they were both Exo's, machines designed specifically for combat, whatever had taken them down, it would have to be deadly.

Entity saw Perses nod slowly, probably thinking the same thing. He didn't say anything though, which worried the Hunter a little. He had been concerned about the Titan's mental state ever since Ferrum had passed away. Not to mention the fact that his consciousness had been transferred from his dying human body into an Exo unit. Entity had enough medical knowledge in his databanks to know that a brain's condition degrades as the body begins to shut down from lack of oxygen and blood cycling to the organ. So some damage to his mental state was to be expected, but it was a shame that it manifested itself in a form of depression that Exo units were unable to comprehend.

"Intelligence suggests that the Guardians were eliminated by a single adversary, but their identity hasn't been confirmed. Through some persuasion, the Shadows have managed to cooperate with some other Houses to concur that this individual has been doing hits on multiple Guardians on almost every planet in many regions." Entity spoke in a low voice, wary of the possibility that he may be in the area. "There is a slim possibility that these Exo's may be alive, but at this point, we can't give ourselves the luxury of wishful thinking, okay? We have to face facts; it's likely that all of these individuals' victims are _dead_."

Erebus put a hand to her face, which was covered by her helmet. Entity knew that she didn't handle death well, especially that of her fellow Guardians.

"We have to assume that this individual is armed and dangerous." Entity continued. "If you see anything out of the ordinary, call it out, and we'll investigate – together." Everyone in the small circle nodded. "Alright, then. Let's get a move on; this cold is freezing my processors." Entity chuckled. Erebus smirked in sympathy for the terrible witticism, and she polarised her visor.

They moved west, heading towards the Wall that separated the Cosmodrome from the rest of the world. The co-ordinates of all the missing Guardian reports in this region triangulated to roughly that area, so that was where the group would begin their search.

IIIIIIIIIIIIII

They entered the buildings warily, darkness enveloping them. Corridors that rusted with age and deterioration guided them closer to the triangulation source. Sparks occasionally crackled and flickered above them on the low ceiling, providing intermittent illumination for Fenrir. A dim red glow surrounded them, as dull crimson lights lined the hallways they were in, giving off a faint glow.

Rifles raised, Entity took point, leading Fenrir down the dark corridors. Perses and Erebus covered the flanks, hunched low and creeping along slowly. Vixera guarded the rear, her upgraded Wire Rifle looking for threats behind the group as she backpedalled behind the fireteam. Entity and Erebus' Ghosts lit the way, while Perses used a shoulder-mounted torch attached to his right pauldron. Vixera made do with flares.

"Keep your fingers on triggers and eyes on your radars. There could be anything down here." Entity whispered into his shoulder-mounted radio placed on his Red Eclipse cloak. He received various forms of acknowledgements from the other members of Fenrir.

"Remember, we're here to look for those missing Guardians. Assume KIA until we know otherwise, we don't know what happened to them." Entity added.

They continued to creep along the hallway, until they emerged into a long room. It's high ceiling was rusted and well above them, difficult to see. It was less of a room; it seemed more suitable to be called a tunnel. Entity didn't know how far the Wall stretched along the surface of Old Russia, but from his quick glances along the length of the tunnel, he couldn't make out an end. The fireteam proceeded into another section of corridors and hallways, the illumination of their light-sources showing them the way onwards.

The darkness clung to the rooms, and the shadows cast by their lights were long and seemed to move of their own volition. It was quiet, only the slow dripping of water and the intermittent sparking of the light fixtures above them popping and fizzing out seemed to make any sound. Entity didn't like it; it was too quiet.

Something was wrong.

Entity keyed his radio into a localised frequency that blanketed the area surrounding them for miles around.

"This is Guardian-216/NTT." Entity spoke clearly into the microphone installed in the radio on his shoulder. "Broadcasting on an open hail to any Guardians in the area. Does anyone copy? Over."

A few moments of thick silence went by, hearing nothing but silence from the device, Entity cast a worried look over to Erebus. She shrugged, her eyes focused. He returned to his radio.

"I repeat; this is Guard-" Entity began.

"Yes! Y-yes, I'm here. I copy. Please hurry, it's almost got me!" A terrified voice spoke in an urgent whisper. Entity's eyes darted around the hallway, half expecting the Guardian to appear from some unseen shadow.

"What's almost got you? What is your position? Over." Entity spoke urgently.

"E-er, I'm just outside the Wall, near the Divi-" The voice whispered, still clearly terrified of some imminent danger. It cut off halfway through the sentence, making Entity stiffen. Theywere _already_ in the Wall, so the Guardian must be somewhere deeper in the compound.

"Oh, Traveller. It's found me. Shit, shit, shit, shit. N-no. No! Please! Noooo-" The transmission cut short. Screams were heard from somewhere deeper in the complex, closely followed by a guttural roar of victory.

As one, Fenrir raised their rifles in the direction of the roaring. It echoed down the hallway, reverberating around the room they stood in. It sounded like the Fallen war cry Entity had heard after his first resurrection, but he had no real way of knowing. A few moments went by as the echoes died away, and it wasn't much longer until Entity thought of a plan. He turned to the rest of the fireteam, ready to give his orders.

"Alright, guys. It seems pretty clear to me that whatever killed that Guardian is a clear danger to us, and it will kill us if it gets the chance. But I have an idea on how to beat it, whatever it is." Entity began. The others kept a sharp eye whilst paying attention to what he was saying.

The Exo brought out his Ghost and shone a holographic map of the area onto the ground.

"Previous reconnaissance from other Guardians coming into here says indicates that this is the only way back to the Cosmodrome from the outer territory. So, I'm thinking, if we wait here long enough, the creature should come through here – and we can ambush it. Vixera, I want you on that balcony over there using a sniper position, keeping an eye out for the target. Perses, Erebus – I want you two to rush it, so take cover behind some pillars. When I give the word, unload everything you have into it." Entity ordered. Vixera and Perses moved away to their assigned positions, while Erebus stayed behind with the Hunter.

"What about the Guardian we heard?" Erebus asked, already knowing the answer. Entity walked closer to her, and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry. But there's nothing we can do for him now." Entity told her, his electronic voice giving a lower pitch, imitating the emotion of sadness and regret. She nodded slowly, understanding. It was a terrible burden, to be a Guardian, and it came with its fair share of risks – dying included. She looked at him, concern in her eyes that were hidden behind her polarised visor.

"What about you?" She enquired, worry woven into her voice. Entity did his best to give her a reassuring smile, giving a shrug.

"I'm the bait."

IIIIIIIIIIIIII

Sorric relished in perverted satisfaction at the sound of the Titan's final bloodcurdling scream, crushing his Ghost when it popped up to revive its Guardian. He had enjoyed prolonging the hunt and growing his perverse interest in death. The Guardian had been a Human, unlike his partner, who was an Exo. Sorric had descended on them both like a shroud of malevolence, killing the first of them without hesitation.

He had taken his time with dispatching the second, relishing in his fear and utter terror at the prospect of being killed for good. Sorric knew it was a somewhat disturbing view to have on the death of another, but he couldn't help himself. Sorric mused that this may be the reason that he sought to distance himself somewhat from his son, Avarek. To protect him from the… violent _monster_ he was slowly becoming. But Sorric knew that this was the last contract he would complete before turning his full attention to his son. He wanted to help Avarek in every way he could. Ever since his Mate's death in childbirth, Avarek had known nothing but distanced love from his father. It was a long time coming that that changed.

Sorric sighed deeply, and then turned back towards the Wall, ready to return to the Cosmodrome to resume his search for his primary targets – fireteam 'Fenrir', they called themselves. He was then alerted by a bleeping in his ear, signalling that something had broken the tripwire he had strategically placed in a corridor in the Wall.

Someone was there, Sorric knew it. Perhaps a Devil patrol or some indigenous wildlife? It was probably a false alarm, but Sorric knew that dismissing something as harmless had been the undoing of many Eliksni before him. Caution was its own reward.

So, with a low growl, Sorric stalked his way back to the Wall, crouching low in the gloomy darkness of the corridors and hallways of the decrepit structure that encircled the Cosmodrome.

IIIIIIIIIIIIII

Tekka limped onwards, feeling the life slowly draining from his body. His lifeblood was slowly dripping onto the ground, luminescent and bright. His mechanical arm felt much heavier, and the Vandal was dragging his feet a lot more. He simply wanted to lie down and die peacefully, but he limped ever closer to his objective, his tired eyes never swaying from the building in the distance.

He had to save the Voice, the _Other_ in his head. If it was the last thing he would do, it would be a good thing. No one would remember it, though - his final act of benevolence. Tekka knew that much. But Tekka didn't mind. Many in this region had already brandished him as a 'traitor' or an 'honourless exile'. What difference would one last act of compassion make?

"_More than you might think, Vandal. In the Old Times, before the Walls, there were the 'Risen'. Early Guardians, whose small acts of selflessness and compassion helped Humanity to struggle on and build the City."_ The Voice spoke softly to his mind. _"You're following in their footsteps, Tekka."_

Tekka only huffed, too focused on the task at hand to comment anything further, instead staring unblinkingly at the array or complex in the middling distance. His limping form crept ever closer to the building that seemed to creep away from him at the same pace he was walking. This could very well be a futile effort, and Tekka could at any moment keel over and breathe his last. But until he did so, he would do everything he could to deliver this second consciousness to somewhere safe.

By the Primes, he swore it.

So with a deep growl and narrowed eyes, Tekka renewed his efforts towards the building, clutching his wound all the way there.

IIIIIIIIIIIIII

Entity had keyed his communication device on his shoulder to an open frequency, able to be intercepted by anyone with a radio within a two-mile radius. He was sat on the ground, clutching an imaginary injury in his right shin plate, his Sniper and Pulse rifles hidden under a blanket of some shredded material, within easy reach if the Exo required them in a hurry. His optics surveyed the area around him with keen observation. 'Arbiter' was strapped to the small of his back, ready to be equipped and shoot at anything that was upon him before he could reach for his hidden weapons.

He knew his fireteam were hidden around the room, ready to attack the Guardian Killer they had heard earlier. They all knew that what he would be saying into his comm-device was not to be responded to, even if it was directed at them. Instead, they were to remain silent until something attacked Entity. Then, they would pounce.

For a while, nothing moved in the large room. There was no sign of their target yet who had attacked the Guardian on the radio. Apparently, given the triangulation of the Lair, and the numerous reports of missing or killed Guardians, Entity's Ghost had calculated that roughly twenty-three other Guardians had been victims to this mysterious attacker's assaults.

Entity was about to say something on the open radio-bandwidth, feigning a need for help, when he heard what he thought was a low growling sound. It seemed to come from a dark corridor that was swathed in inky blackness, as if Light itself would not be able to permeate it. Entity squinted at the corridor, trying to peer closer, when two small objects were tossed in his direction, which hit the floor and rolled towards Entity.

There were cylindrical and bounced on the floor with light 'clink' sounds. Entity immediately recognised what they were and dived towards some nearby cover. He heard Erebus cry out in pain, moments after he attempted to jump, but was caught in the blast.

"Grenade!"

IIIIIIIIIIIIII

_Minutes earlier…_

IIIIIIIIIIIIII

As Sorric drew closer to the Cosmodrome, a new scent drifted into his nostrils. One that repulsed him and invited him closer at the same time. A stench that he felt disgusted by just at the thought of him being in such close proximity to it.

_Light-Bearers._

Sorric growled a low snarl. Something was familiar about these Light-Bearers though. He'd smelt it before he'd killed the Cavalier Kell, but thought nothing of it. He had smelt it on Mars before he'd run through a pair of Guardians.

It was the stench of his targets.

He'd subdued the Guardians on Mars, those going by the names Argus and Lancer – as well as many other Light-Bearers since, to retrieve parts of salvage to create his invention. His… _counter-measure_.

A machine that paralleled his own evil intentions. A device that was integral to the elimination of his current targets. This machine would allow him a distinct advantage over the Light-Bearers he was hunting.

A Guardian could _die_, like any other living thing, of course. But they were able to resurrect themselves using their tiny robotic companions, allowing them a considerable benefit over any enemy they faced. However, under certain circumstances, it was entirely possible to eliminate a Guardian for good, without any hope for revival.

One such instance occurs when Guardians are so immersed in the Darkness that it permeates their very being, their very existence. If they were vanquished there, without support from other Guardians, they were almost certainly unable to revive themselves.

Proceeding down the corridors of the Outer Wall, Sorric turned a corner to see his primary target, the Exo known as 'Entity', sitting on the ground in the centre of the room, clutching his leg.

Sorric hummed quietly in thought as he narrowed his eyes. Clearly, this was ploy. There was little chance that the Guardian would come this far into the Wall alone. If he _truly_ _was_ injured, the Exo would have used a modicum common sense to drag himself somewhere safer where he wouldn't be so easily ambushed.

Yes, this was a trap, Sorric knew it. So the bounty-hunter began to devise a plan of action to counter the trap they would spring on him.

Sorric knew he would be outmatched if he were to attack them head-on. There was no permeating Darkness here, Sorric could tell. He would have to use his device to effectively 'level the playing field'. As good as he was he wouldn't be able to overcome a trio of Guardians _and_ a House of Shadows Captain.

He knew she was here, somewhere – hiding like the coward she was. Vixera. He could smell her, despite the efforts made to mask her scent. Sorric knew that this was evidence that the lone Exo wasn't unaccompanied. He was ready for Sorric's ambush with an ambush of his own.

Sorric thought for a moment. It was likely that Fenrir would have set up a crossfire to catch him in as soon as he exited the doorway leading to the large room. But they didn't know he was here yet, so he had the element of surprise, even though he only knew definitively where one of the four remaining members of the team was.

He could give a rough guess though. He remembered coming through here the on his way to the outside of the Wall to track down the other Guardian. He recalled there were a number of nearby pillars that would make for mediocre cover for two members of Fenrir to hunker down behind, probably the Titan and the Warlock. Vixera was likely perched on some ledge, her Wire Rifle anticipating his exit. He wouldn't be able to move quickly enough to avoid their combined attacks, as fast as he was.

He would require a distraction. After a moment of thinking, Sorric smirked as he drew out two concussion grenades he had been keeping for just this kind of situation. He got a feel for their weight as he prepared a throw. Luckily for him, the entrance was cast in a heavy shadow, so his targets wouldn't be able to see in to witness him throw the grenades.

However, before Sorric lobbed the explosives, he drew out his invention – a slim-looking rod that fitted neatly in his hand. He called it a 'Spectre', for its abilities to impede a Ghost's ability to resurrect a Guardian. That's what he'd been doing whilst he was hunting down the other Guardians. So he could harvest their Ghosts to create the device. He flicked a switch on the side of the device, and it sent out an untraceable virus to any nearby Ghost, overriding their reviving protocols. Sorric had observed on Mars that the Titan no longer had one of the tiny constructions, and had learned that he operated with some form of nanotechnology to repair his systems. He had adjusted the device to infect the Titan too, so the device had the same effect on him.

Sorric put away the device. Now that the Guardians were 'infected' he could execute the rest of his plan. He took a deep breath of thought briefly of Avarek before he armed the pair of grenades and lobbed them near the Exo in the centre of the room.

He grinned a menacing smile as he heard the Exo cry out moments before the grenades detonated.

"_Grenade!"_

Sorric rushed out, the trio of Guardians were blinded. He sprinted to the left, hitting the woman hiding behind the pillar straight to the ground. Sorric drew a sword and plunged it into her stomach as she lay on the ground. Her bloodcurdling yell making him grin. The rest of the fireteam reacted quickly though, picking themselves up from his initial attack. The Exo Titan, Perses, ran at him at full pelt, and the Captain prepared to be tackled. But not before Sorric felt the impact and heat from a Wire Rifle shot impact his right shoulder guard.

Sorric grunted as he was wrestled to the ground by the Titan. He would kill these Guardians – quickly, efficiently. But he would take his time with Vixera. In his eyes, she deserved nothing more than hatred and to die in pain – _lots _of pain.

IIIIIIIIII

Tekka practically crawled into the array, desperately hauling his body across the dirty floor in an effort to reach the main terminal that would grant him access to the mainframe so he could save the Voice in his head, the 'Other'.

Breathing heavily and grunting with effort on each pull, Tekka drew his body ever closer to the computer terminal over on the far side of the room. A trail of luminescent ethereal white blood was left behind him as he crept along the floor.

It was only perhaps twenty feet away, but to Tekka, it felt like twenty miles. But he knew he couldn't rest without doing his utmost to deliver the Voice a chance at living at least a little longer.

.

It took some time, but he made it to the console, his strength sapping from him by the second. Using almost all of his remaining strength, Tekka hauled himself up to look at the monitor. The screen was dead. He creased his brow in frustration, wondering how he could save the Voice inside his head with a lifeless computer.

"_Thank you, Tekka. You've been a great help. All you need to do now is place your hand on the monitor and you will save me."_

Tekka raised his hand, his palm mere inches from the screen. He briefly wondered what would happen to him, but he squandered it from his mind as his flesh touched the dusty glass. He was already dying, if this killed, it would make little difference to his fate.

Almost immediately, a crackle of sparking blue electricity raced down his arm, and into the interface. It didn't hurt him, to Tekka's surprise, instead almost tickling wherever it danced upon his appendage. As quickly as it had come though, the dancing electricity vanished into the monitor, and Tekka immediately felt as if a great pressure had been expelled from his mind. A headache that he wasn't aware he'd had simply vanished when the Voice left him.

He should have been happy to finally be rid of his uninvited companion, but instead, he felt rather lonely. Tekka realised that he had actually come to like having the Other inside his head. Now, he just felt isolated again, like he had for so many years before he'd been paired with it at the Ketch crash-site.

Moments went by without anything happening. The machines didn't stir. The motors and computer didn't whir into life like Tekka had thought they would. Instead, it remained lifeless and dead. The monitor was still blank and dusty, with small, almost imperceptible scratches decorating its surface.

Tekka sighed. He'd failed. He'd let down the one person that had been relying on him for survival. Now, instead of feeling lonely, the three-armed Vandal simply felt a sense of crushing defeat and guilt as he slid down a nearby wall to rest.

As soon as Tekka sat down, he suddenly became aware of the incredible agony in his gut where he had been wounded by the Kell's sword. He looked down at it, bringing the hand that was applying pressure to it up to his face to regard the large amounts of blood on it.

He could feel himself slowly losing grip on life, succumbing to the warm embrace that death's sweet release would bring. Tekka's breathing became shallow and erratic. His heart-beat slowed, and his body went slack.

_This is it;_ Tekka thought as he felt his body give in to Death's beckoning call. _I'm going to die._

Tekka found himself strangely at peace with his fate as his breathing became harsh, then stopped altogether. His eyes stared at the horizon, visible through the doors and windows that decorated the building. The four blue orbs looked out into the middle-distance one last time, before glazing over, like glass marbles in his skull.

.

The world went by, not acknowledging his demise. Not pausing to grieve his death, nor anyone else's. The wind kept on whistling. The grass kept on growing. It kept on spinning, kept on going for the sake of those who were still alive. It would not stop to remember the passing of Tekka.

The Exile.

The Traitor.

The Good Vandal.

IIIIIIIII

His optics darted around the room to look for her, and he soon found Erebus, laying on her back, with a deep sword wound going straight through her abdomen. A fatal blow. Entity knew she wouldn't have long. The Fallen who was now engaging Perses clearly knew what he was doing when it came to killing.

He ran to her side and crouched next to her, applying pressure to the wound in an attempt to slow the blood loss. Bright crimson flowed from her torso, quickly caking his hands with her blood.

"Oh, no..."

Thinking fast, Entity took out a field med-kit, and attempted to bandage her wound. But it was impossible to do so with the ever-flowing stream of blood beginning to pool around her weak body.

Instead of applying the bandage, which in doing so may have done more harm than good, Entity instead tried to keep her awake. He knew that if he let her fall asleep, she may never wake up. He took her head in his hands and stroked her face lightly, smearing it with his bloody fingers.

"Stay with me, Erebus. You're gonna be fine, okay? Just stay with me." Entity told her, Erebus' eyes struggling to focus on the Exo in front of her.

IIIIIIII

He let out a jab that his opponent managed to deflect just in time, but Perses didn't let up. He quickly followed up with a right hook, to which the Eliksni Captain raised an arm to knock back. The Captain took the opportunity to attempt a jab of his own. It was also deflected just in time, with an uppercut that connected to the Titans chest-plate not far behind his initial strike.

Perses felt the blow of the strike, even beneath all of his armour and padding. This one was a strong Fallen indeed, with fist-fighting discipline to match his muscle. A deceptive speed and agility was hidden beneath the Fallen's brute strength and adaptive tenacity in close-quarters combat.

Charging up his right fist with Arc lightning, Perses struck the Captain with a disciplined punch to the stomach, as he hoped it would wind his opponent and give him a wide enough opening to put him down. His fist connected, and the Captain was jolted back from the devastating blow, but wasn't winded. He back-pedalled slightly, playing with his opponent.

Perses grunted in annoyance, and looked briefly to his left to see Vixera trying to get a decent shot at the Captain from her ledge. But she looked distressed at seeing the other Fallen in the room with them. Her usually reserved and calculating blue eyes were wide and bright. Clearly something was wrong. Perhaps she knew this Captain?

Perses had little time to muse why else she might show distress, as the Captain launched himself at Perses again, initiating another attack. Perses ducked under the strike that would have clotheslined him. The Exo pivoted on his heel, only to see a clenched fist flying directly at him.

The blow connected, denting the plating on his face. Perses grunted, waiting for his nano-bots to kick into gear and repair the damage. In the meantime, Perses held up his arms in a deflective guard as another jab came towards him. The Exo felt his gauntlets absorb most of the impact, the rest dispersing almost harmlessly into his naturally-occurring armour plating that acted as his 'skin'.

But something was wrong. His face-plate was still damaged. Surely, the nanotechnology circulating his systems must have detected the damage and made an effort to rectify it? Apparently not. Perhaps a glitch in the system? Maybe faulty wiring? Many scenarios went through his head in seconds, but none of them sounded likely.

Panic began to grip him when he realised that whatever had caused his malfunction may just cost him his life. Ghost revival wasn't an option, ever since his daring stunt during the battle between the House of Vigil and the House of Shadows which had destroyed it due to the amount of trauma the tiny machine had gone through just to ensure his survival from the fall from orbit. So if the nanotechnology wasn't working if he went down during this skirmish - he wouldn't be doing a miraculous return from the brink of death a second time.

Perses squandered these thoughts, instead focusing on winning the fist-fight, just as the mysterious Captain lunged again.

.

Sorric knew this Light-Bearer. He could sense it. He'd done a detailed analysis on the members of Fenrir before now, and his research hadn't told him that the previously Human member of the team, Josh, had been transferred into an Exo body. Of course, he'd seen all four members on the Martian wastelands in action, so that he could analyse their fighting styles, as well as their weaknesses. But from the distance he'd been from the battle on the Red Planet, Sorric hadn't noticed that he was now an Exo under all that Titan armour.

But he could see it now. The way he moved was more mechanical than a Humans movement, less fluid. Clearly, the Guardian wasn't as attuned to his new body as he believed, and Sorric used this to his advantage. The way he could hit him too, the punches and strikes that only a robotic body could allow for. The power and strength behind each successful blow was debilitating to the Captain, so he made sure to dodge as many as he could. He'd already landed a powerful blow on his stomach that had almost stolen his breath from him. A few more hits like that, and he'd be out for the count.

But the Exo was disciplined, he knew how and when to strike. He wasn't as mindless and as driven by bloodlust as other Titans. But Sorric needed him to be. Those who fought without technique or discipline were easy prey.

He needed a pressure point on the Exo. A nerve that Sorric could hit that would make the Titan lash out from rage or hatred. The only question was what? Sorric slipped a menacing grin onto his face as he remembered a tidbit of information his research on the fire-team that would suit his needs perfectly.

After letting loose a few more blows which were easily blocked by the Titan, Sorric began speaking in the Human tongue. Something that clearly offset the Exo enough to allow Sorric a quick jab to his chest.

"Where did you learn to fight?" Sorric questioned, this being the trigger for the offset that had allowed him the fast blow. "You are a Titan, but you show the discipline of something much more."

Sorric heard the Guardian growl. A punch was sent the Captain's way, but it was unguarded, and left the Titan far too open. Sorric took his opportunity by dodging under the swing to punch the Titan in the helmet with an uppercut, cracking his visor and sending the Exo backwards a few steps.

"A friend taught me." Perses spoke in a low voice, it was a dangerous topic. "But he's dead now."

There it was. The pressure point. He was hiding it, but Sorric could see the Exo bridle at the mere mention of this… _friend_.

"He sacrificed himself. He was a good person." Perses told him firmly. He attempted a swift kick that connected to Sorric's shin. The Captain grunted in pain as he suppressed a yelp. "His name was Ferrum."

He needed to hurry, Vixera would be here soon, though she was thankfully still struggling with reaching the ground from wherever she'd been hiding for Fenrir's attempted ambush.

"Fool." Sorric growled. "You lie to yourself to hide your guilt. He didn't sacrifice himself, he didn't need to. You could have_ saved _him_._" The Captain was making every word of it up, he had no idea how Ferrum had died or what role Perses had played in his demise, but it still had the desired effect on the Titan.

"No. You're wrong." The Titan argued, letting out hit after hit on the Captain's arms. There was desperation behind his punches though. Clearly, Sorric had hit a nerve. "He destroyed himself to stop that Ketch demolishing the City. There wasn't anything I could do to stop him."

Suddenly, the dots connected in Sorric's mind. Now it made sense. The Captain had steered the Cavalier Ketch towards the City to destroy the rest of the Humans, but the ship had been destroyed. He hadn't realised that Ferrum had been the one to end his plot. He didn't know what the Exo had done to save his friends, but now he did – and now he knew what nerves to strike to finish the fight and end this Titan.

"You fool." Sorric snarled. "I killed him. I did. I steered the ship towards your disgusting City, hoping to wipe your pitiful excuse for a race from the universe. But _Ferrum_ stopped me; he killed himself to save others? Stupid."

Perses stood still for a moment, processing what Sorric had told him. The Captain knew that he had no reason to believe him. Although Sorric hadn't actually killed him, he had still been indirectly responsible for Ferrum's death. The Exo may have pulled the trigger, but Sorric had given him the gun, so to speak.

"YOU BASTARD!" Perses screamed in utter rage, sprinting at him with unrestricted anger. He took out the Shotgun that Shadow Kell had given him, and lunged closer. "I'LL KILL YOU!"

Time seemed to slow for the Captain as the Titan came closer.

BOOM!

Without thinking, Sorric managed to avoid most of the first load of buckshot fired from the gun by rolling to the right. Trusting his instincts, the Captain drew out his back-up machete from its sheathe from the small of his back, and sprang up to the Guardian, thrusting it into a partition between armour-plates in his leg.

Sorric then grabbed the barrel of the shotgun and ripped it away from the Titans grip as he fell to the ground, the machete stuck in his leg making him topple to the ground. Wielding the Eliksni shotgun for himself now, Sorric planted a foot on the Titan's back and aimed the barrel at the back of the Guardian's head.

"At least you'll see him soon." Sorric growled, pulling the trigger.

BOOM!

.

"NO! PERSES!" She screamed. The Captain standing over the dead body ripped his gaze from his first kill to look at the owner of the voice.

Vixera stood there, some way away, her Wire Rifle held up to the House of Venom Captain. She let off a shot at his head, a thin stream of super-heated plasma spewing from the weapon at high speeds. The Bounty Hunter moved in time to dodge her shots though, but not completely. Rather than his head, Vixera's shots impacted on his shoulder guard instead, the plasma easily cutting through the armour and onto his body.

The scent of charred flesh began to waft Vixera's way as Sorric picked himself up from the attack. She was on him though, her swords drawn to cut his head off and avenge her fallen comrade.

But he blocked her strike with his shock-spear, sparing him a killing blow. The metal sang as they clashed, and Vixera back-pedalled quickly, ready for another strike. Sorric stood up to his full height now, his muscle-bound form an intimidating sight. He regarded his injured shoulder, but shrugged it off, and readied himself for the coming duel.

IIIIIIIIIIIII

Erebus blinked away tears and struggled for breath. Her crimson lifeblood snaked away from her body, pooling beneath her - despite Entity's attempts to stop the bleeding. She tried to summon her Ghost, but didn't have enough strength to even lift her arm. Instead, she swivelled her neck to regard the Hunter leaning over her, his ice blue optics scanning her face and wound as fast as his motors would allow.

She looked over to the scene unfolding perhaps twenty feet away. Vixera clashing blades with an Eliksni she did not recognise. Their weapons twirled and danced so quickly, the Warlock could hardly keep track of who was doing what. Clearly, her friend's opponent was quite the swordsman.

Her eyes drifted over to a body nearby, and she let out a sob when she recognised her comrade's armour. Perses. His helmet had been utterly destroyed, and his head was an unrecognisable mangle of wires and metal. She had only known it was him from the armour-shader and Titan armour plating. The Fallen Vixera was fighting must've already dispatched him before turning to deal with her.

He must have been the one to stab her in the gut, she realised. But, why hadn't she recovered yet? Why hadn't Perses' nanotech not begun the repairs on him?

It was a possibility that the nanites had malfunctioned, but that didn't explain why she wasn't healing. Something was wrong, very wrong. The Fallen must've done something to them. It had to be that, there wasn't another explanation. But what? And why?

Erebus already knew what was going to happen. Perses was already gone. If Vixera didn't succeed in killing her opponent, there would only be Entity. And if he was focused on keeping her safe, they'd all die. She had to do something.

"I know. I know what I have to do, Entity." She told him, trying to sound confident. He just looked at her, confused.

"What do you mean?" He asked desperately.

But she didn't reply. The woman was already focusing on what had to be done if any of them were to survive. She felt what was left of her strength began to sap from her. Her energy transferring into her hands. Her Light gathering into the two focal points to channel almost everything she had into something many believed wasn't possible.

The Boon of Light.

Entity held her shoulders tighter, panicking when her eyes rolled back into her head, her hands beginning glow with a golden aura. He stroked her face, hoping to glean a reaction of some kind, but after a moment or two, her eyes refocused and settled on him. Her demeanour had completely changed. Gone was the grimace of pain from the fresh stab wound. So too was the coldness of her skin. Instead, she radiated warmth, as if she were heated from the inside. Her facial expression was one of serenity. She offered the worried Exo a smile to reassure him.

"Forgive me, Entity," she said, as he heard a cry from behind him where Vixera was fighting the other Captain. She began to raise her hands to his face, which still glowed with the mysterious golden aura. Entity grew apprehensive of the glow, but he couldn't tear himself away from her.

"I love you." She told him, as she pressed each of her hands to his faceplate.

Immediately, Entity's systems exploded with the burst of pure Light running through him, and the last thing he saw before his world changed forever, was Erebus smiling lovingly.

Then his vision turned pure white.

IIIIIIIIII

The metal sang as their weapons clashed, whirling so fast they were almost too difficult to see. They traded blows and slashes, each trying to win the upper-hand and failing at the last second.

Each of their blows were blocked or parried by their adversary and then countered with another jab or strike. A jab or punch that wouldn't connect, or if it did, have little effect on their opponent.

The Bounty Hunter closed the gap between them again, feinting right, but at the last second let out a spin kick that knocked Vixera to the ground. Not wanting to go down, Vixera twisted her body to use the momentum from falling to flip herself back onto her feet, swords at the ready. Sorric growled in a low baritone.

He roared as he charged the female Captain, clearly agitated that his attempt to knock her off of her feet failed. He swung low with his shock-spear to take out her legs, but Vixera jumped at the last second, vaulting over the weapon. As she landed, she turned to face him again, a left hook already headed in her direction. She couldn't dodge the strike, so she did her best to block it. The impact cracked a bone in her lower arm's forearm and she howled in pain.

The Bounty Hunter sneered at his small victory and smiled at the sound of her forearm breaking. This was going to be his method to beat the Captain, wear her down slowly, chip away at her until she was too exhausted to fight back – then he'd go in for the kill.

Not one to allow her injuries to distract her, Vixera blocked out the pain and let out a blind jab. But the Venom Captain was too quick for her, blocking it and letting off a counter with a cross punch to her left cheek.

She grunted in pain, scolding herself for acting without discipline. She tried to focus, but her forearm was causing her considerable discomfort. She quickly dropped her swords and disoriented the Bounty Hunter by punching him in the side of the head. The blow connected.

Dazed, Sorric attempted a wild haymaker. Vixera employed an elbow block to deflect the attempt and countered with a hard punch to his stomach, making him curl up slightly.

She pressed her advantage by quickly stepping forward and raising her knee to his face as he came down from the stomach punch. The hit made Sorric shout in pain, and Vixera allowed herself a moment to relax as she stepped back.

But Sorric recovered quickly, much faster than she expected, and came up to meet her retreating form with a feral left hook. It impacted her side, hard, winding her. Sorric followed up with a punch to her right jaw, making her lose a few teeth.

She recoiled and he punished her by slicing her arm with his blade. Blood started to run freely from her wound, and the Shadow Captain attempted to back pedal, but was met with a solid concrete wall blocking her escape.

Sorric took advantage of her misfortune by letting out a second punch to her jaw, fracturing it. Now out of his daze, Sorric let out yet another blow to her side, cracking her ribs like fragile clay. Another to her side, and another, which eventually broke her shattered ribs altogether.

She screamed in pain, and dove to her right, narrowly dodging Sorric's next assault. Although, it caused her great pain in her side, she quickly shrugged it off as she stood up from her roll, spitting blood at Sorric's feet. He laughed darkly and lunged at her again, but Vixera sidestepped his attack as she dodged to the right, letting off a jab at his solar-plexus in an attempt to wind him.

Sorric's momentum carried him straight into her strike, and it stole the air from his lungs. Pausing for a moment to get his breath back, he looked up to see Vixera charging, ready for a right hook to his face. In his weakened state, he could do very little to stop the female from cracking his jawbone, almost dislocating it entirely.

The blow sent him reeling into the front of a ruined pillar, cracking the weathered and aging concrete. Vixera leapt up slightly, and delivered him a harsh heel-kick to the Captain's diaphragm, sending him crashing through the ruined pillar, kicking up dust and rubble as he tumbled through it.

Sorric's ears rang as he slowly picked himself back up, panting harshly. Vixera glared at him through the dust with a mighty rage, her anger at losing her team-mate and the adrenaline from the brutal fight no doubt temporarily blocking her exposure to the pain Sorric had caused her in the fight.

She growled as she tensed her muscles. Her teeth were no doubt bared beneath her mask, and she was almost snarling at the Bounty Hunter. Sorric just picked himself up and made a gesture for her to keep going.

Vixera growled again, this time leaping from the base of the toppled pillar to land on Sorric in an effort to crush him with the combined force of her momentum and her body weight. She would try to take advantage of the subsequent toppling of Sorric to stab him with both of her swords.

Sorric watched as she sailed through the air, the metal of her swords glinting menacingly as she closed in, ready for the kill. Her eyes held a rage and loathing directed at the Bounty Hunter that drove her efforts to kill him.

But he was faster, drawing his hidden machete that he had used on the Exo Titan, Sorric snarled as he brought the blade up to meet the female Captain before she could land on him. The sharp edge poised, rushing up to meet her, the knife slid into her belly, close to her damaged ribs. Vixera could do very little to stop the dagger penetrating her body, her own momentum and weight pulling her down onto it.

As soon as it stabbed her, she dropped the swords from shock and landed ungracefully on the ground just in front of the other Captain. She whimpered from the injury, her own luminescent blood spilling on to the floor from the stab wound.

Sorric chuckled as he lifted her up, her body almost limp from her injuries and lack of energy. But she snarled half-heartedly as he brought her up to meet his eyes, their helmets no more than an inch apart.

Sorric almost laughed at her pathetic attempt to intimidate him with her pitiful snarling and he let out a deep growl of his own. He roughly pushed her against the pillar she had leapt from, the dust from the fight settled. He stooped over briefly to pick up his shock-spear and sheathe it on his back, and he picked up one of Vixera's own swords.

Studying it for a brief moment, he stepped back from the female, who remained propped up against the pillar. Sorric held the sword in his right upper-hand, and raised it high above his head, and brought it down with as much power and strength as he could muster.

The blade cut deep into the female, cleaving clean through her bones to settle deep in her chest. Vixera screamed in agony, and she tried to move away, but she could do very little to resist her fate now – and Sorric knew it. He stepped up to her, and placed all four of his hands inside her wound and started widening the deep laceration.

She howled in unbearable pain, and he grunted with the effort of his actions. But slowly and surely, the flesh began to rend and tear. With a final roar, Sorric pulled with all of his strength, ripping her body in two, separated at the shoulder. Vixera gave a final haunting scream as she was torn to pieces at the hands of the Bounty Hunter.

Panting heavily from the effort, Sorric felt a smile curling his lips as he stared down at Vixera's torn remains. His armour was stained with her blood, and even some of his own. He took a moment to spit a gob full of saliva on her body, and chuckled at the sight of her corpse. Finally, his grudge had been settled.

Sorric would've revelled more in his victory over the object of his hate, but something caught his eye. Something behind him. A glowing yellow light, seeming to be growing.

Sorric turned, and his four blue eyes widened in shock and he felt a twinge of panic, as he saw the last remaining member of the fire team known as 'Fenrir', Entity, approaching with light _pouring_ out of his eye slots.

But when he spoke to the Bounty Hunter, his voice did not come out as a single Exo's, with the low technical hum that accompanied it. Instead, his voice was overlapped with many others, speaking as one. Deep Human voices intermingled with the lavish accent of the Awoken.

"I'll kill you for what you've done, you son of a _bitch!"_ Entity spoke in a dangerously low expression. The Light came streaming out of his eyes, wisping up towards the ceiling before dissipating into nothing.

Sorric growled to attempt to intimidate the approaching Exo, who held a Hand Cannon in one gloved hand, and a machete in the other. The Captain soon realised that this Guardian was certainly not afraid of him, and he instead focused on vanquishing his new foe.

IIIIIIIIIIIII

The bright white blanket had completely covered Entity's mind. He couldn't think for himself. It was as if someone – or _something_ \- else was directing his limbs with strings, as if he were a mannequin being controlled by a puppeteer. Entity could feel himself stand up and away from where Erebus lay, slowly ebbing further away from life. He felt himself draw 'Arbiter' from its holster on his thigh and 'Last Resort' from its sheathe on his lower back – but he hadn't told his body to do any of these things.

His body turned itself away from the Warlock to face the object of all the destruction, all of this suffering and loss. Sorric. Through the veil covering his mind, Entity saw the remains of Perses, his head an unrecognisable mess of wiring and metal, and Vixera, ripped in two and left on the floor like a forgotten thing.

He felt his anger swell. But, this time, it wasn't the simulation of the emotion – it was the real thing. Pure, absolute rage. It felt completely alien to Entity. Clearly, this 'Boon' that Erebus had shrouded him in had given him true emotion – at least, for now.

"I'll kill you for what you've done, you son of a _bitch_!" The layer of voices surrounding Entity's own inspired fear inside him, but also an assurance and a calm he was not used to.

Then he felt it, the fingers tapping the edges of his consciousness. The tendrils of other minds linking with his own, of Guardians dead and gone. He felt the surge of power inside him as more and more consciousness's were shared with his own. Entity also knew that as each mind linked with his own, he was changing – evolving. Becoming something he did not recognise.

And, for the first time in his life, Entity felt scared by it.

It was a blinding pain, but powerful beyond belief. The gentle whispering came then. Voices of people he did not know, but at the same time felt strangely familiar to him. The essence of all of the Guardians was culminated inside him, their knowledge and power was all being directed into him.

Kabr's willpower.

Toland's intelligence.

Dredgen's potential.

Malphur's speed.

He heard all of their cries and emotions. He felt all of their Light and Darkness. He felt them all drive his body to kill Sorric, but above it all, there was a presence at the very back of his mind, untouched by all of the others. It felt reassuring, soothing. Like he was home from a long and difficult journey. It calmed him, gave Entity serenity – and strengthened him at the same time.

Entity held up the Hand Cannon to the Captain, aiming the barrel at the Bounty Hunter. Time moved so slowly for Entity. His arm rising, his grip tightening, his finger pulling on the trigger as he squinted down the barrel to focus on the Fallen's head. Everything that happened around him took an age to do. The gears and flywheels in his arms, Entity heard every single click or shift in the mechanical appendages, every motion they made as they crept up toward his target. His finger pulling on the trigger, the hammer flying back and striking the chamber with a dull thud. The bullet slowly gliding from the barrel and creeping through the air to reach the other end of the room where Sorric stood. Every movement took an era to complete for the Exo.

Somehow Entity knew this was how the Boon enabled him to see things, allowed him to process things so fast that it felt like time was slowing down around him because his cognizance was too quick for the world around him. The Exo didn't know how he knew this, much less comprehend it, but right now he had bigger things on his mind.

He knew exactly what to do and how to do it. He knew his capabilities and his weaknesses and how to protect them. He knew _exactly _how much strength he had in his hands, in his arms and the rest of his body. Entity suddenly knew _exactly_ how fast he could sprint and how high he could jump.

Entity knew _exactly_ how he could win this fight. It was just a question of whether or not he'd be able to. What he couldn't exactly know was the variables that made up Sorric. The Fallen who had killed his two of his friends, and had mortally wounded another. He could make an estimate, he could _guess_, but Entity couldn't know. Not for sure.

After what seemed like an eternity, the bullet finally impacted on the pillar where Sorric had been standing just before. Bits of dust and concrete flew up into the air, twirling slowly, so slowly. The Fallen came towards him, his shock-spear leaning towards the right, ready to strike at Entity.

The Exo raised his right arm to defend against the attack, his armour defending against the blade. Entity countered the Captain's move with a strike of his own, slicing his machete up towards the Bounty Hunter in an effort to incapacitate his left arm.

Unfortunately, the Fallen was too fast for the Guardian, back-pedalling to avoid the attack. Entity stepped forward to attack the Captain again, this time pushing 'Last Resort' straight towards the Eliksni's chest. But Sorric spun left, twirling out of the way of his offensive move, returning the attempt with a strike of his own. Sorric brought down his shock-spear from up high to land a slash on the Exo's head, breaking his helmet into several pieces, the visor shattered and broken. Without pausing, Entity removed his helmet and cast it aside, tossing it to the ground.

The agile Hunter easily evaded the Fallen's next swing, his eyes scanning every move the Bounty Hunter made. The Light that was spilling out of the slots for his eyes did not impede his vision in any way, and his limbs seemed to move of their own accord. He parried Sorric's next attack with his machete, and rushed towards him catching the Eliksni off-guard.

As they tussled, Entity fired off a couple of rounds into Sorric's stomach. The first round did little to harm the large warrior, pinging off of the Fallen's cracked armour harmlessly, but the second round managed to pierce the plating and embed itself deep into his body. The gunshots rang out, and Sorric howled in pain, kicking Entity away and clutching his stomach wound with one of his lower arms whilst the upper two held his shock-spear.

Sorric roared a challenge as he lunged at the Exo again, bringing his weapon down on the Hunters smaller frame. Entity dove to the left, clear of harm's way, and rolled on the floor using his momentum from the dive. As soon as he was upright again, he fired another two rounds at the Eliksni, stalling the Captain, leaving him with only one more bullet in his magazine. Entity knew it would take too long to reload in this fight, no matter how fast he'd suddenly become.

Charging at the Fallen, Entity attempted to tackle the much larger warrior to the ground, but failed. Sorric had braced against the tackle, and now brought his elbow down onto the Hunter, but not before he impaled his machete, 'Last Resort' into the Captain's stomach.

Sorric cried out as he threw the Exo away from him and across the room, landing in a heap next to the dead body of one of his comrades, Perses. Entity briefly felt a pang of guilt, but turned to face the Bounty Hunter again. Sorric pulled on the machete, drawing it out of his body, and threw it at the Exo, who had very little time to react.

Entity watched as the knife came twirling at his head, the blade glinting menacingly. He leant slightly to the right to attempt to dodge the projectile, but didn't avoid it completely. The steel slashed against Entity's face-plate, gouging out a mark in his face as it swept past him.

Entity cried out, but tried to ignore the injury as he saw Sorric charging at him again. The Fallen swept at his with his shock-spear, just missing as Entity dodged left. Taking advantage of Entity's near miss, the Eliksni advanced on the Exo, delivering blow after blow, most of which missed the Hunter, but a fair few found their mark on him.

But Entity could see that Sorric was wearing down, slowly and surely. His breath came out heavy and panting, sweat was dripping from his form and there was a fair amount of the Fallen's blood covering both the Bounty Hunter and the Exo. Clearly, his scuffles with both Perses and Vixera had taken a lot out of him.

Facing up to his opponent again, Entity's slower perception of time allowed him to see the attacks of his adversary coming – and so he blocked or weaved around many of them with relative ease, the Captain's attempts at striking the Exo were slowing down due to his fatigue.

Taking advantage of his opponent's weariness, Entity began pressing into Sorric, hoping to finish the fight. The Exo's machete was lost to him, flung to the other end of the room, out of reach. It would take too long to retrieve it, and by then the Eliksni may have recovered enough to kill the Hunter. Entity knew that he had to end this now.

Springing his wrist-blades free from their sheathes; Entity lunged at Sorric again, plunging his right blade into his adversary's chest between a crack in his armour. The stab sunk deep into Sorric's torso, and the metal stopped when it collided with one of his ribs. Sorric howled in pain as the blade collided with his bone, scratching and splitting it. The Bounty Hunter made a move to swipe Entity away, but the Exo was faster, removing the blade from the wound and slicing the Captain's left hamstring as he slid between his legs.

Sorric roared in pain again as he sank to the floor, unable to hold himself aloft with the leg wound. As Entity skidded to a stop behind the Bounty Hunter, he held 'Arbiter' up to the Fallen's back, lining up the barrel with the stationary target. Firing, the bullet lodged itself squarely into Sorric's spine, paralysing the Fallen from the waist down.

Sorric cried out in utter agony, roaring in defeat and anger at being bested. He toppled backwards, his bulk lying on the ground, chest to the ceiling. Attempting to haul himself to safety with just his three working limbs, Sorric panted from the exertion as he propped himself against a wall, trying to put as much distance in between himself and the Hunter that just stared at the Fallen with a burning rage in his Light spilling eyes.

Entity casually walked over, picking up Sorric's shock-spear as he approached the crippled Eliksni, holding it at the ready. The Bounty Hunter could do little but watch as the Exo plunged the spear into his chest, straight through the armour and underweave, directly piercing his heart and lung. The Fallen expected some final monologue of his vengeance being fulfilled from the Exo, but he remained stoic and silent, only watching the Captain die, slowly and painfully.

No cries of pain came from the Eliksni, only the grunt of barely registered pain as he felt the weapon impale his body. Sorric looked at the Exo, as he backed away from the Fallen, the spear still lodged in his chest. The Fallen felt the blood beginning to spill from his mouth as his punctured lung began to fill with the fluid, his heart giving a few final beats in a futile effort to keep the Bounty Hunter alive.

Sorric briefly thought of the reward that he would fail to claim from this Bounty, but in the last moments of his life, as the light left his eyes and Sorric Tai exhaled his last breath – his only thought was that of his son, Aravek.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Entity wasted little time in waiting around to watch the corpse of the Bounty Hunter go limp, instead running and crouching by Erebus, who panted and coughed on her own blood that streamed gently from her lips onto the floor. He propped her body into his arms, trying to get her attention. He gently shook her to try and draw her attention, and she smiled weakly as her eyes focused on the Exo.

"Stay with me, Erebus. I'm going to get you out of here." Entity spoke in a firm voice, the surrounding layers of the other voices remaining and echoing his words to the Warlock.

"Listen, you. You're… going to be alone now… and you're very bad at that. You're going to be furious… and you're going to be sad, but you _listen to me_. Don't… let this change you. You can't." Erebus told the Exo kneeling over her bleeding body. She gasped for air between every sentence.

Entity set his jaw, clenching his teeth. He couldn't lose her. He'd lost everyone else that mattered to him. Ferrum. Josh. Perses. Vixera.

Now Erebus?

He opened his mouth to speak, but Erebus saw him, instead raising a bloodied hand up to his face, stroking it with her thumb. She shushed him with a gentle hum from her lips.

"No, listen. I know what you're capable of, but please... whatever happens next? You can't let this turn you into a monster. I'm not… asking for a promise. I'm giving you an order, Entity." Erebus put on brave smile. "You will _not_ insult my memory, do you hear me? There will be… no vengeance, or suffering, or anger, or-"

"What about me?" Entity interjected, cutting her off. Erebus sighed sadly, and then coughed harshly. The sparkle in her eyes was fading.

"If there was something I could do about that… I would. I guess we're both going to have to be brave." She smirked weakly.

"Erebus…" Entity whispered, stroking his thumb against her face.

"Don't. Everything you have to say, I already know. Don't do it now. Just… do me a favour? You don't have to, if you don't want to." Erebus' weak smile plastered on her face as she lay in his arms. Her deep brown eyes staring longingly at his cold blue optics, wishing for just a little more time with him. Entity nodded.

"Anything." He told her.

"Remember me?" She asked, tears streaming down her eyes.

Entity nodded, he'd never forget her. He'd die before he let go of her.

"I love you." She said.

Entity leaned down to touch his forehead to hers. He wouldn't disobey her order. He wouldn't become a monster. He couldn't.

"I love you t-" Entity started, but Erebus suddenly went limp in his arms, her heart stopped beating. Entity took his head away from hers, and saw that her eyes held no life in them.

Entity shook his head, then held her tight against his chest. He rocked her body in a way a mother would rock her baby.

"No. No, no, no, no." Entity whispered. "Don't leave me, Erebus. Don't go. _Please_."

It was no use. She was gone. Entity knew it, but wouldn't accept her demise. Without a second thought, he summoned his Ghost to take the pair of them to his ship. He punched in co-ordinates to get to the City as fast as possible.

He couldn't lose her. He _wouldn't_ lose her.

IIIIIIIIIIIIII

Computers and monitors that had not been used in hundreds of years suddenly began to flicker on and whir to life. Blue reset screens began lighting up and hard drives began to reboot after years of disuse and neglect. The corpse of a Vandal lay propped up next to one of these machines, his colours marking him as a member of the House of Devils – a mark of the Traveller burned into his palm.

The Battlemind's intelligence systems whirred into life, restarting protocols being launched and put into use after ages of disregard and negligence. Although less advanced than their more powerful counterparts, the Warmind's, which would overlook entire countries or even planets, Battlemind's like this one would only take care of a region of a country.

…

Upload… _Complete _ Artificial_Intelligence_Unit – Detected – **WELCOME USER**

INPUT COMMAND

_INPUT: _RunSystem_Diagnostic

**ERROR**: Level_3 Authentication Required for (_System_Access_)

_INPUT:_ backdoor_ -INTERFACE – **ACTIVE**

Authorisation _Granted_ – System_Access – _**Acquired**_

_INPUT:_ RunSystem_Diagnostic

_Running_

.

Diagonostic COMPLETE– **ERROR** – **SEVERE DAMAGE** TO UNIT DETECTED IN **SECTORS 3-9**

_INPUT:_Display Damage_Analysis

AUXILLIARY SYSTEM – ONLINE – **ACTIVE**

WEAPON SYSTEM – OFFLINE – **ALERT!** _System_ _Compromised_! Severe Damage Detected

_INPUT:_ Display Weapon_System Damage

WEAPONS SYSTEM – ARTILLERY UNITS – **OFFLINE**

\- MISSILE UNITS – **OFFLINE**

\- SELF-DESTRUCT – ONLINE _(_Last_Resort_Initiative: Available)

_INPUT:_ Run External_Unit Diagnostic

Running

Diagnostic COMPLETE – **SEVERE DAMAGE DETECTED!**

_INPUT:_Display Damage_Analysis

Weapon_Systems … **OFFLINE**

Communication_Unit … **OFFLINE**

Surveillance_Unit … ONLINE

Reparation_Unit(s) … WARNING! **SEVERE DAMAGE DETECTED!**

Display Damage_Analysis: COMPLETE

.

.

.

_INPUT:_ Engage **HIBERNATION_INITIATIVE** \- - - -

_ENGAGED_

_INPUT: _ .EXO-INTERFACE – ACTIVATE **Reparation**_**Initiative**

_ENGAGED_

HIBERNATION_INIATIATIVE **COMMENCING**….

.

.

.

_INPUT:_ Thank you **TEKKA**

_INPUT:_ …. _**:)**_…..

REPAIRATION _INITIATIVE: _**ACTIVE**_

HIBERNATION_INITIATIVE: _**ACTIVE**_

IIIIIIIIIIIIII

His cold blue optics snapped open, desperately searching the room for any sign of danger or threats. The stark white walls and the plain bed that he was lying on that greeted him were not the conditions he remembered being surrounded by mere seconds ago. Before, it had been grimy rundown walls that had surrounded Entity and his team. But now he appeared to be in some kind of hospital. He checked his on-board clock, and widened his optics in shock when he saw that there had been a three day time-lapse on his system. _Three days_ had passed without him noticing? Something had to be wrong. Drawing up his records and memories from his data-banks, Entity should have been able to see what ever had been going on for the past two hours, but it was just empty. No data had been recorded. Not even his systems checks that automatically ran every few seconds to get an update on his condition. It was just… _blank_.

Something was very, _very_ wrong. Entity had subconsciously been recording and documenting his functionality and data-streams and chassis condition since he was first resurrected. So why in the Traveller's name would there just be nothing? He took a brief moment to check what his last recorded memory was in his data banks, and the realisation dawned on him.

Perses was _dead_. Vixera was _dead_. Erebus had been _dying._ And Sorric was responsible for it all.

But Erebus had been… glowing, and when she had touched her hands to his head, it was _then_ the data storage had stopped updating. _That_ was the moment when his memory banks had stopped recording anything. Entity was confused by it all. Where was he? What had happened to his team? Where was Erebus? He reasoned that he must have been transported to the medical wing of the Tower somehow, even if he didn't remember how.

He thought it out in his head. Trying to piece it all together, when the door to his room slid open, the aging face of Doctor Vinter striding through. When the older Human looked up from his medical clipboard to see the Exo staring at him, he flinched in surprise, but quickly regained his composure.

"What the hell happened?" Entity demanded. "Where am I? _Where is_ _Erebus?_"

Doctor Vinter walked over to Entity's bed, quickly checking the diagnostics on the life support machines that the Exo was hooked into. He nodded in satisfaction and turned to face the Hunter.

"We don't really know, Guardian. We were hoping that you could tell us, honestly. You just stormed into the medical wing of the Tower, holding the woman, Erebus, in your arms. You demanded an Exo Consciousness Transfer like the one we had performed on Josh to make him Perses to be done on Erebus." Vinter creased his brow in thought.

Entity just stared at him, willing him to continue.

"Your eyes… they were spilling… _Light_." He said, emphasising the last word with awe woven into his speech. He shook his head quickly. "It was such short notice for us that we barely had time to fetch a replacement body. We hooked Erebus into the device, but…" Vinter trailed off.

"But?" Entity whispered.

"But… it was too late. She was already dead." He told the Exo.

Entity's gut wrenched in heartache and sadness. She couldn't be dead. They couldn't _all_ be dead.

"You insisted that we continue, and you started pouring all of this _pure Light_ into her body. Amazingly, she recovered a pulse, and the machine started working." Vinter continued.

Entity looked up in hope. She was alive?

"All of this Light that you had in you for some reason activated the machine. It was working, Erebus had severe brain tissue deterioration, but we thought we could still salvage enough of her. But then the machine began to overload. It couldn't handle the amount of Light you were pouring into it – into her. The systems were crashing because of the purity of the Light going into it, as well as what it was trying to do. Bring someone back from a state of brain-death to transfer into an Exo unit? It was always going to fail, but you insisted that we kept going."

Entity lowered his head, already knowing what he was going to hear. His hope had been dashed.

"It didn't work, did it?" Entity asked in a low voice.

Vinter just shook his head.

"I'm sorry. The systems crashed, and the machine overloaded from the Light, so it can't ever be used again. Her body disappeared too. Just disintegrated from the energy you were putting into it." The doctor told him, his voice solemn. "Then you collapsed from all of that Light suddenly leaving your system. We rushed you into here, and you woke up a few days later."

Entity nodded. He couldn't even bury her.

IIIIIIIIIIIIII

The world moved on. Entity stayed at the Tower for a while after that, even though Vinter had discharged him from the medical wing. He wallowed in his sorrow in the Hunter's lounge, sheltering himself away from society. After a few days, he discovered that his communications device had recorded the entire fight with Sorric. It only gave him the audio, but for Entity, it was almost too much. The twinge of fear he felt at hearing his voices lapsed with so many others, but he was overshadowed by guilt and sorrow when he discovered the recording of his final goodbye with Erebus.

He listened to it, over and over and over again, memorising every single word of it. Remembering every desperate gasp for air as Erebus asked him to remember her and keep their promise.

And he would, he'd keep it for her.

.

After the machine had overloaded and Erebus had disintegrated and Entity had collapsed, the Exo that the doctors had planned to transfer Erebus' consciousness into was thrown into storage, deemed a failure and left with the other malfunctioned or shutdown Exo's and Frames. It was decommissioned and forgotten about.

IIIIIIIIIIIIII


	18. Epilogue

A Soldier of the Light

Epilogue

He hadn't believed it, when he'd been told the news. Even when the Kell himself had summoned the Vandal to his throne-room to break the news himself, ordered him to travel to the Cosmodrome to see the grave with his own eyes, Aravek still refused to believe that his Father was dead. It wasn't possible; at least, he hadn't thought so, not until he saw it himself in that moment. The Vandal stared down at the remains, cloth and armour that had once protected the Captain in battle. Now, they only protected forgotten bones. Grief and anguish gripped the Eliksni as he stared at his Father's remains. Bloodstains were still visible on the armour and shock-spear, and not just Sorric's. There was the tell-tale crimson pigment of dried and faded Human blood staining the blade.

_Good_, Aravek thought, _that means he went down fighting_.

He reached down and picked up his Father's helmet, a stark white with tiny scratches and nicks etched into it almost everywhere. Suddenly, Aravek's grief and sadness turned into something else. It morphed into something much more sinister and spiteful. It turned to hate. Hate for whoever had killed his Father. He'd gone down fighting. But that still meant that Sorric had been beaten if he'd lost the fight. He was dead. Defeated by the one who could call themselves the vanquisher of such a great warrior. Aravek could not let that stand. He couldn't let his Father's killer go unpunished. He wouldn't let the person who'd bested one of the greatest fighters ever to come from the House of Venom go on to walk amongst the living and tell them of how they'd defeated the great Sorric Tai.

So Aravek made his Father's forgotten bones a silent promise. An oath that he'd find whoever had killed him, and he would make them suffer the untold pain that only a Tai could dispense. But he couldn't do it as a Vandal. He couldn't do it as Aravek, the child living in the shadow of his Father's greatness. No, he had to be something more. Something that represented his mission for revenge and suffering. With his free hands, Aravek removed his Vandal helmet and cast it aside, tossing it to a dark corner at the back of the room. Gently, he placed his Father's helmet on his head, quickly followed by the dusty shoulder pauldrons, leg greaves and forearm vembraces. They fit well, if a little loosely.

_No matter_, Aravek thought, _it just shows that I'll have to become bigger and be better than my Father to kill whoever murdered him._

He bent down and picked up the cloak, bearing the green mark of the House of Venom, which was still stained with his Father's blood. He tied it around his waist, as a physical reminder of the vengeful mission he was choosing to go on. Now, all that was left to claim was his Fathers shock-spear, a weapon used only by some of the greatest close-quarter combat fighters. Its blade stuck into the ground, clearly the final strike that had finished off his Father. Whoever had killed him had done so with Sorric's own weapon. A great dishonour, to be vanquished by your own blade.

But Aravek wouldn't make the same mistake. He wouldn't underestimate his enemies, or take each fight he would go on to win as anything less than a challenge to overcome. Picking up the shock-spear, Aravek got a feel for its weight. It was deceptively heavy, but balanced for spinning as well as throwing, if need be. _This was it_; Aravek thought as he held the weapon in his hands, _this blade was his Father's legacy_. Now Aravek would make it his own legacy. He twirled the weapon in his hands a few times and then sent the blade into the ground and held onto the hilt. Aravek knelt before his Father's remains and made his oath.

"I am Aravek Tai, Son of the Great Sorric Tai. I promise on my Father's grave that I will have my revenge!"

IIIIIIIIIIIIII

Some years later, after the world had forgotten the tale of the Lonely Sniper, a Human girl following in her brothers footsteps took control of the small but strong House of Kings in the Cosmodrome in Old Russia. This was first time anything like this had happened in both of their races respective histories. One good deed had set events in motion that would forever change the course of Humanity's future. It changed the entire tide of the war between their races. One day, the girl's actions could potentially put an end to their conflict altogether - or start a new one with those who opposed this change. But she would need direction to achieve peace. She'd need help to shape the promising future that awaited her if she made the right decisions. It meant them no harm, but instead only wanted to watch – and protect. A machine, forgotten and alone, accompanied by only the skeleton of the Vandal that had helped it survive. It would use whatever means possible to show her the way to this prospective and grand future that awaited her.

It would be the small, hardly noticeable changes to the things that surrounded her that it would use to influence to help her on her way. A light, rapidly turning on and off, in an apparently normal building in the wastelands that would draw her attention. She'd venture in with her Exo friend and discover a Fallen Captain being nearly beaten to death by a sadistic Warlock, and she'd save him. Information on the basics of a translator to allow Guardians and Fallen to communicate more easily would be given to the Exo's Ghost so it could help each race to understand one another. Control of the House of Kings radio's to broadcast Teira's rousing speech to gain their trust once she'd vanquished their former Kell to all members of the House of Kings that weren't present at the speaking, so her influence could be shared to all. And once she'd taken control of the House, a collection of messages and radio transmissions that would help to manage her new House's activity to bolster the territory's defences and security to buy her more time if the Devils came knocking.

Little changes and tiny aids that the Guardian consciousness inside of the Battle-Mind would never receive credit for. But it knew that it didn't require or want any praise or thanks. This had been his destiny all along. If he hadn't sacrificed himself all those years ago to destroy the Ketch, then it was likely that there would have not peace between Humanity and Fallen in the years to come.

IIIIIIIIIIIIII

_**5 Months Later…**_

IIIIIIIIIIIIII

"Welcome to the Tower, Guardian. This will be your new home, protected by the Traveller." A Ghost chirped happily as a new-born Guardian was transmatted into the Courtyard.

He wore simplistic dirty brown and grey armour, clearly an uninitiated Guardian, lacking any real experience on the battlefield. The automatic weapon on his back looked about ready to fall apart rather than fire bullets. The Newborn looked around in awe. His helmet wasn't on his head, and so his wonder-struck expression was visible for all to see. Moments went by as the Guardian soaked up every last detail. His eyes hungrily scoured every inch of the Courtyard. A blue-skinned scholar stood with a glowing polygon-like orb in his hands near three small towers, each with a Guardian or two crowded around them who were interfacing with the touch-sensitive screens. Robots stood around the plaza, ready to point new Guardians in the right direction, or similarly coloured droids of the same model monitoring what looked to be a postal service and bounty-hunting screen in separate areas. There was an Exo standing in a far corner next to a tree that was fussing with a Heavy Machine Gun. Supply ships came and went at the front of the Tower to drop off their cargo before quickly departing.

The Newborn saw all of it, but one Guardian drew his attention more than the scattered vendors or the Frames dotting the Courtyard. An Exo sat alone on a jutting edge at the front of the Tower, a Sniper Rifle on his back. His eyes were drawn to the horizon. He remained motionless, clearly fixated on some unseen point of interest. The Newborn stared, inexorably drawn to look at the black-armour plated Hunter. Without taking his gaze away from the Exo, he summoned his Ghost and asked it what he thought was a simple question.

"Who's that?" He spoke. The Ghost took a moment to answer him.

"The Exo?" It asked, and the Newborn nodded. "That's the Lonely Sniper." The Guardian looked toward the small machine, confusion furrowing his brow. "His real name is Entity, but that's pretty much everything that most people know about him. He's a recluse whenever he's at the Tower. Never talks to a soul. Any other time, he just… disappears, without anyone knowing where he's gone, except maybe Cayde and a couple of others. He enjoys his company, to say the least." The Ghost told him.

The Newborn looked on in sympathy at the Exo who still had his back turned to him. The Ghost looked at its Guardian in curiosity, wondering what he would do or say next. It didn't expect that the Guardian would begin making his way towards the Exo, walking onto the platform that jutted away from the Tower. He stopped at the railing though, his curiosity only took him that far.

"What are you looking at?" The Newborn asked the other Guardian in an upbeat, friendly manner.

The Hunter sat quietly, barely acknowledging the question. When he didn't get an answer, the Newborn furrowed his brow in annoyance, and asked the question again, louder this time.

"I said; what are-"

"I heard what you said, kid." The stoic Exo told him in a flat voice. "I just don't give a shit."

The Newborn grunted in anger, hopping the railing that separated them. He grimaced in frustration.

"Hey, don't be so ru-"

But the Exo cut him off again, this time without using words. Instead, he shot up, twisted on his heel, and pulled the Guardian over the edge. The Hunter held him there with his left arm; a wrist-blade sprang forth from his right hand to press against the Newborn's throat. Only the toes of the young Guardian feet were still on the ledge, and they scrabbled desperately for a foothold. The Exo showed no emotion on his face, but his voice bridled with what sounded like a burning fury. His cold blue optics showed an unnerving lack of responsibility and care for the Newborn's life. A long scar cut his faceplate from above his left eye to just above his mouth, giving the Hunter a menacing appearance.

"I said; I. Don't. Give. A. Shit. You got that?" The Exo whispered in barely restrained anger.

The Newborn nodded furiously, his eyes pinned on the Exo's icy blue optics. His face was pale and frightened. Other Guardians had congregated and watched with rapt fascination from the safety of the Tower Courtyard, waiting eagerly to see what would happen next. Ikora Rey and Cayde-6 came sprinting out of the Vanguard Hall, hoping to pacify the temperamental Exo. Security Titans accompanied them, who would subdue the Exo if he became too much for words to calm down.

"Put him down, Hunter!" Cayde shouted above the muttering and general hubbub of the spectating crowd.

The Exo growled at the Newborn, pulling him away from the edge, and threw him towards the safety of the guard-railing. Without another word, he sat back down on the ledge, unslinging his Sniper Rifle from his back. The Newborn was the image of pure terror. His features dripped with a cold sweat and his limbs trembled. He clung to the railing with a vice-like grip, staring down at the sheer-drop that would have claimed him had the Exo not shown mercy. The pair of Security titans managed to wrench him free of the railing and haul him to where it was safer, but not before the Newborn gobbed a wad of spit in Entity's direction. The Exo could practically _feel_ his glare that penetrated his back, but he just didn't care. Instead, he ejected his sniper's empty clip, and began counting a handful of .308 rounds into the magazine.

_Click!_ One.

He'd lost her. The one thing in his life that he swore he'd never let go of. He clenched his fist into a tight ball. He knew he should've tried harder, should've been faster to get her to the hospital.

_Click!_ Two.

And _he'd_ killed her. That goddamn Bounty Hunter. He'd taken everything she'd ever be in one strike. One moment. A moment Entity could've prevented if he hadn't been so slow. In the months that followed the incident, Entity had read up on all of the information that existed in the Tower's libraries or field reports about the Eliksni who had massacred his entire team. His name was Sorric Tai, a Captain of the Fallen House of Venom. Most of the intelligence that the Tower had learned from his activities and sightings, of which there was _very_ few, pointed to the fact that he was a merciless killing machine that worked as a contract killer for the highest bidder. Entity knew that this meant that someone out there had ordered a hit on his squad. Someone or something that wanted him and the rest of Fenrir dead. The Bounty Hunter had single-handedly killed the love of his life, and Entity would never be able to forget or forgive him for that.

_Click!_ Three.

And Sorric hadn't just stopped at Erebus. Oh, no. He'd made damn sure to kill every single person that Entity cared about. Every person that was close to him, his friends and his battle-brothers. Ferrum. The Warlock who'd given everything to save everyone in the City, and they'd never know. The Exo that had only wanted to learn about his past. After being resurrected with sentience, Ferrum became determined to find out why Humanity created the Exo's along with other secrets of the past including the Golden Age. Feeling the key to these questions laid with the Traveller, Ferrum dedicated his research to the Traveller and its powers, focusing on the aspects of Void Light. His research into the Exo's decadency and purpose for creation had breathed a new lease of life into many Warlocks and engineers across the City, many of which were disappointed that they were not able to meet the Exo who had investigated the subject first.

Click! Four.

Perses. The Titan who'd deserved better. He'd risked his very life for the sake of his team and a treaty with those whom Humanity had called their enemy for so long – and he'd paid a high price. As a Human, as Josh, he had been brave and intelligent. The strong-and-silent type that showed so many of his adversaries, enemies in the field and rivals in the Crucible, that he wasn't a Titan to be underestimated. As an Exo, these qualities had only increased, but with the blessing of the second life he'd been granted, he'd been cursed with something that his Exo body could not comprehend - emotion.

Click! Five.

Vixera Naa'kad. The Captain that had taught Entity, the Vanguard and the Speaker and so many more, that the words 'Fallen' and 'Eliksni' were two very different things indeed. That some of the aliens that Humanity had perceived as enemies for so long didn't have to be feared, they could be trusted - and they could be _allies_. But that hadn't stopped the House of Shadows moving from their Lair to somewhere in the European Dead Zone. Vixera's death had been the final straw for the Kell, and he'd broken off the truce and had disappeared with the rest of his House. Entity had no idea where they'd gone, but he wouldn't look for them. Clearly, they didn't want to be found.

Click! Six.

In a way, the Bounty Hunter had killed him too. At least, he'd killed the person that he _was._ Now, Entity was someone very different to the person he'd been before. The scar on his face-plate was permanent reminder of his failure and the person he was now. Where once he'd been kind and patient – now, he was only angry and spiteful. He'd hardened up inside. He wouldn't let anyone into his heart. He'd just get hurt again, and Entity couldn't allow that. But he'd still made Erebus a promise, to not use his grief as an excuse for revenge, to not turn his loss into hate, to not cause needless suffering. He'd keep his promise, for his own peace of mind, and for those who had fallen on that fateful day that had relied on him to keep them safe.

He'd do it for her.

So he would leave this place, he'd go somewhere where no one would find him, Old Russia maybe. There, he'd be able to think about his failures and dwell on his regrets by himself. He'd keep everyone else away – he had to. Entity didn't want that responsibility again. He didn't deserve to lead if he couldn't protect those he was leading. He'd be alone. For how long? Who could say? But it didn't matter, not to him. He enjoyed solitude. He liked the quiet of being lonely. Entity slammed the full magazine into the weapon, standing up and making his way towards the Hangar to his ship. He pulled his hood up and polarised his visor to hide the scar on his face-plate.

Entity. The Lonely Sniper.

He almost chuckled.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

_**15 Years Later…**_

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

_REBOOTING..._

_PLEASE WAIT..._

The Exo sparked into life, his limbs slightly spasming until his circuits returned control to the motors and flywheels. Lights behind his optical lenses flickered and eventually focused on the area around him.

The deep red lights scanned the room, looking for some kind of illumination on where he might be. He tried to remember coming in here, into this dark room where he now found himself, but his memory banks turned up nothing. Only his name.

"Uggh..." His voice came out in a hoarse groaning. Clearly his voice projector hadn't caught up with the rest of his systems just yet.

_Where the hell am I? _The Exo wondered.

He attempted to stand, the gears and cogs in his legs and back groaning and creaking in protest. Eventually he succeeded, and discovered he was wearing Titan armour, but... it was dusty and... the paint was peeling? Something wasn't right. He needed to know where he was. He needed a way out. He needed it now.

Probing in the pitch black with his hands, his metal fingers made contact with a flat wall. Keeping to the surface like it might disappear if he let go, the Exo traced his fingers until he found what felt like a light switch. Flicking it on, the switch illuminated the room around him. The Guardian recoiled in horror upon seeing what was there. Dozens of Exo and Frame bodies, just piled on top of each other, almost reaching the ceiling. The Exo almost wished he'd never turned on the lights in the first place, but he still needed a way out. After a moment of looking around the room, he found another switch to flick. Using a finger to flip the small switch, a door materialised and slid open, revealing a way out. Proceeding through, the Exo took one last look at the pile of defunct Exo's, and looked at his new surroundings.

A corridor, clean and tidy, with stark white walls and a black floor. The Titan walked until he found himself at an elevator, which rather quickly slid open to reveal someone inside. From their scrubs and medical equipment around their neck, the Exo guessed that this Human was a doctor. Did that mean he was a patient? The Titan mused this as he moved closer to the person who'd exited the elevator, a woman, short with dirty-blonde hair. She walked blindly towards him, but briefly looked up from the clipboard in her hand to see the Titan in front of her.

An odd look struck her face when she looked at the dusty and peeling armour, but looked up with a friendly smile to regard the Exo's face. She nodded in his direction and said a single word as a greeting before zipping past, obviously heading to wherever she needed to be.

"Guardian." She greeted.

Suddenly, it all came to him. Of course, he was a Guardian - a Titan. He was meant to protect the people of the City from the Darkness using the Light as a weapon. _This_ must have been the Tower, in the medical wing. But none of that explained why he'd woken up in an Exo body pile. Maybe he'd been shut down? Maybe it was a storage closet of some kind for defunct and damaged Exo's? Perhaps, but he was functional. So why would they throw him in with the 'dead' Exo's and Frames? It didn't make sense. He needed to get out of here, think things through, then maybe he'd remember.

Using the elevator, the Exo descended until he reached the ground floor. He made his way out using a side entrance. The Exo pushed the door open, hoping to go out to get his bearings and ponder why he'd been in a storage room. Instead, he swung the door open to almost hit a civilian in the face. She fell backwards, dropping the brown sack she was hauling over her shoulder in the process.

Instantly, all thoughts of figuring out why he'd been in storage left the Exo's mind. He'd been so clumsy and distracted that he'd almost hurt someone. He quickly bent down to help her up.

She was a teenager, probably about sixteen, if he had to guess. Her light auburn, nearly ginger hair fell in strands over her face, which was lightly freckled and petite. She was quite small, but the Exo could tell she was beginning her transformation into womanhood. The Titan sputtered out an apology, offering to help her up.

"Sorry, kid. I didn't see y-" The Exo began, gently holding one of her arms to help the girl to her feet.

"Just watch it." She warned him, cutting him off.

He hadn't expected that, to have a civilian to speak to him so dangerously. He was taken back enough for the teenager to pick up her brown sack and attempt to enter the Tower through the entrance that the Titan had just come out of. He put a hand on her shoulder before she managed to get into the building.

"Now, just wait a minute, kid. You aren't allowed in there." The Titan informed her. It was true, civilians weren't allowed into the Tower without special permission or unless accompanied by a Guardian.

She gave him an intense glare, her bright green eyes shooting him a venomous stare. The girl tried to wriggle from his hand placed on his restraining grip, but she couldn't quite escape.

"You aren't going to stop me, I need to get in." She told him, the cold and low tone still there. Her free hand that wasn't holding onto the brown sack balled into a fist.

The Titan hardened his resolve. He couldn't let her in, she might get hurt. He kept his hand on her shoulder as he tried to calm her down.

"Listen, I'm sorry, but I can't just let you go in. You'll be arrested." He warned. The Exo tried to speak in a relaxing and comforting tone, but it was difficult with his electronic voice.

"Let go!" The teenager almost shouted. She gritted her teeth and punched him in his chest-plate, hard. The impact of the strike left a dent in the armour piece, and the Titan looked down at it in shock. He looked back at the ginger girl, her face unapologetic and angry.

This was it, last chance. If he didn't pacify her now, he'd have to take her into custody.

"Just tell me why you need to go in, and then I might let you go." The Exo said quietly as he released his grip on her. He fully expected her to leg it towards the Tower, and he'd have to pursue her. But to his surprise, she just watched him.

"You wouldn't understand." She said cautiously. Her face had turned from one of anger to dejectedness. Her eyes fell to her feet, and suddenly the Exo felt as if he were a teacher scolding a small child.

"Try me." He crossed his arms.

"Some time ago, my brother… _died_…" The teenager started.

"I'm sorry to hear that, kid." He said, offering his condolences, but she waved it away.

"I've heard that too many times. I don't want apologies." She looked at him, her green orbs now full of sadness rather than venom. "But, he was a Guardian and he'd been collecting these…" She showed him the contents of the sack, all engrams. Most were white, but there were a couple of emerald orbs in there too. "But he never got enough time to hand them in, so he just kept them instead."

"I see." The Exo commented.

"My mother and I, we're kinda poor, so I thought I could give these to the Cryptarch, and maybe sell the contents for some Glimmer." She confessed. "I thought I could sneak in and do it without anyone noticing, but…" The girl trailed off, her point clear.

A moment went by, and the two of them stood in silence for a moment. Then, an idea struck the Exo.

"What if I hand them in for you?" He proposed. She looked up at him in confusion.

"What do you mean?" The teenager asked.

"Well, what if I gave the Engrams to the Cryptarch and I give you the Glimmer from selling them? I don't want you to get into trouble for trying to support your family."

"You mean it?" She beamed. Her face broke out into a half-smile, and she looked at the Exo's deep red optics in disbelief.

"Sure thing, kid." He held out a hand, waiting for her to shake it.

She gave him once last look, then she slowly smiled and nodded her head. She stuck her petite hand in his large one and shook it firmly.

"Here." She said, handing him the sack of engrams. He hoisted it over his shoulder, and they began making their way into the City so he could escort her home.

"So, what do I call you?" She asked.

The Exo smiled at her and gripped her shoulder comfortingly.

"Name's Seraph, kid." He told her.

"Pleasure to meet you, Seraph, I'm Teira."

IIIIIIIIIIIIII


End file.
